Anesthetic agents for cardiac surgery should produce analgesia, hypnosis and muscle relaxation while causing minimal cardiovascular stress. Combinations of drugs are often required to achieve full anesthesia. Liu et al. compared the cardiovascular effects of ketamine-pentobarbital or fentanyl-pentobarbital combinations in minipigs undergoing open-heart surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass. Their results suggest that ketamine-pentobarbital anesthesia was associated with more stable cardiovascular conditions for open-heart surgery and bypass in minipigs. See
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Many procedures in minipigs require reliable deep venous access with a large-bore catheter. In animal experiments, such catheters are typically implanted surgically, but in clinical settings, ultrasound imaging is routinely used as a less invasive option. Pinkernelle et al. used ultrasound guidance to place catheters in the minipig femoral vein. Their technique was successful in all six pigs tested and caused no physiological complications. See
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