Abstract
We made a right-heart-failure model by ligating all branches supplying right ventricular free wall. Then we wrapped the right ventricle with left latissimus dorsi muscle (dynamic cardiomyoplasty). After electrical training the muscle for six months, we evaluated the performance of right ventricular cardiomyoplasty on chronic phase by stimulating skeletal muscle with amplitude 5V, width 0.5 msec, duration 200 msec, and 20 Hz frequency. Left ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular systolic pressure, cardiac output, and right ventricular stroke work increased significantly with muscle stimulation. Left ventricular end diastolic pressure, right ventricular end diastolic pressure, and central venous pressure were decreased. The augmentation of right ventricular function by cardiomyoplasty was observed for at least four hours without fatigue of skeletal muscle. We also examined the anatomical and histological changes of right ventricular free wall infarction. The right ventricle chamber became enlarged and the free wall was very thin. Vacuole necrosis and fibrosis were detected on right ventricular free wall, indicating that our method of making right ventricle infarction was successful. Thus right ventricle dynamic cardiomyoplasty was effective for the augmentation of ventricular performance on an akinetic right ventricle.
