Percutaneous serial catheterization in swine: a practical approach

In a model designed for experimental cryoablation of the His bundle in swine, a study that required multiple and follow-up cardiac catheterizations, femoral percutaneous cannulations were successfully performed in 14 of 15 swine: 6/6 Yucatan miniature, 5/6 Hanford miniature, and 3/3 Yorkshire farm pigs, weight range 15-50 kg. A follow-up cardiac catheterization was performed in 10 of these animals: 5 Hanford and 5 Yucatan. Femoral percutaneous cannulation was successful in 6. A cutdown approach was successful in the remaining 4 after failed attempts at percutaneous vascular access. The results show that percutaneous femoral cardiac catheterization is a feasible and practical technique for cardiovascular studies in swine, especially those that require multiple and serial catheterizations.