Chronic heart block in dogs; a method for producing experimental heart failure

A method is described for the production of chronic atrioventricular block in dogs, by incision of the region of the bundle of His through the open right atrium during temporary caval occlusion. Exercise tolerances, chest x-ray films, electrocardiograms, phonocardiograms, cardiac outputs, intracardiac pressures, femoral pressures, and left ventricular coronary flows were obtained preoperatively and from 1 to 10 months postoperatively. The majority of the animals developed clinical, laboratory, and pathological evidence of congestive heart failure. All animals had generalized myocardial hypertrophy