Laboratory evaluation of intraoperative myocardial protection. The need for appropriate animal models

The investigative laboratory is the appropriate place to evaluate methods of intraoperative myocardial protection. It is becoming apparent that diseased myocardium is more susceptible to intraoperative injury than is normal heart muscle, and so animal models that simulate human cardiac disease states such as chronic left ventricular hypertrophy should be used to assess various techniques. Long-term studies on animals surviving operation are necessary in order to evaluate the chronic effects of various methods of protection.