Selective coronary embolization in closed-chest dogs.

A method is described for occluding a branch of the canine left coronary arterial system, without the use of X-ray equipment or the need for a surgical thoracotomy. For the creation of experimental myocardial infarction, either a solid embolus or a diffusible medium is introduced into the coronary vessels via a rigid cannula which is inserted through a carotid artery. This technique produces infarcts of reproducible size with a minimum of equipment and surgical complication.