Anatomical Differences Between Human and Pig Hearts and Their Relevance for Cardiac Xenotransplantation Surgical Technique

Abstract

Cardiac xenotransplantation has been proposed to bridge the gap between supply and demand for patients with end-stage heart failure requiring transplantation. However, differences in pig anatomy compared with human anatomy require modification of the surgical approach. In addition, careful consideration should be given to size matching before transplantation. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)