Chronic left heart catheterization for microvascular blood flow determination in the rabbit: a minimally invasive technique using specially designed port devices.

Background: This study describes a modified catheterization technique with subcutaneously implanted port catheters to be inserted in a retrograde manner across the aortic valve into the left heart ventricle through the right carotid artery to measure organ perfusion.

Materials And Methods: The specially designed arterial port catheters were implanted in New Zealand rabbits (n = 11, 3.7 +/- 0.