Potential Myocardial Revascularization and Mechanical Effects of Pectoral Muscle Transplant

Seeking methods of myocardial revascularization and mechanical assistance, we performed what we believe is a new surgical technique. Pectoral muscle was applied in 12 dogs. Thirty days later, 6 dogs were sacrificed as controls. Three months after ligature of the descending coronary artery was performed in 3 animals, these and the remaining 3 were sacrificed. No deaths following coronary occlusion were observed. When the acromiothoracic artery was made opaque, a well-developed collateral circulation to the myocardium was visible. Overstretched arterioles with extremely thin walls and, more frequently, with almost normal thickness were observed. In the “junctional zone,” dilated capillaries and anastomotic channels full of blood cells were commonly found. The crucial point of this study is the passage of contrast material in vivo, and postmortem cineangiography. Ourmethodhas the potential to revascularize myocardium and replace the diseased segment.