A simple technique of anaesthesia for experimental open-heart surgery in the calf.

A safe and simple technique of anaesthesia has been developed for the calf, which is increasingly in demand for experimental testing of prosthetic heart valves and other cardiac devices. In view of the calf's sensitivity to anaesthetics, a minimal number of short-acting agents was employed. Pulmonary complications, to which the calf is said to be so susceptible, were eliminated by a greater control over the artificial respiration. No deaths occurred due to anaesthesia in 35 calves.