Advancing human and veterinary medicine fields through veterinary-specific cardiac surgery

As someone who finds the field of science fascinating, I often consider the roles that human and veterinary medicine play in advancing science, particularly through cardiac surgical programs. With industry change and scientific advances, the boundaries between human and veterinary medicine have become increasingly permeable, as demand for advanced intervention in companion animal medicine continues to grow. As a result, a paradigm shift has occurred in what was previously considered an exclusive domain of human medical intervention, with the development of cardiac surgical programs in veterinary medicine. This novel scientific development in veterinary medicine now allows both human and veterinary practitioners to achieve improved cardiac-specific outcomes not only for the individuals holding the leash but also for their furry counterparts at the end of that leash.

The field of cardiac surgery has made significant advances since the early 1900’s. Before the creation of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine in the mid-1950’s, novel research using systemic hypothermia in dogs to permit cardiac surgery on an open heart laid the foundation for the first successfully recorded cardiac surgical procedure in dogs.¹A short number of years later, the first successful human heart surgery using total-body hypothermia was recorded at the University of Minnesota, sparking the beginning stages of open-heart surgery.¹Upon creation of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine, arguably one of, if not the most significant, life-altering developments in the field of cardiac surgery, studies involving canines at the University of Minnesota were completed to assess the feasibility of cardiopulmonary bypass on the repair of ventricular septal defects, with promising results.¹

Likewise, these initial results found in the canine population allowed for further development, leading to one of the first successful surgical repairs of an atrial septal defect in the human medicine field through the use of the cardiopulmonary bypass machine.¹ As displayed, animals have played a significant role in the development of many modern-day technologies utilized in the field of cardiac surgery.

Veterinary cardiac research shows promise for improving both human and veterinary medical industries due to the similarities between human and companion animal hearts (canine-specific), the pathophysiological processes of common valvular diseases, and the use of similar echocardiographic techniques to those of the human heart.²As such, an opportunity exists for canine cardiac patients to help construct relevant clinical models that may translate and, as a result, address cardiac disease in the human heart.²Therefore, collaborative efforts between human and veterinary medical professionals enable both scientific fields to benefit in terms of scientific improvement and improved cardiac-specific outcomes for human and veterinary patients alike.²

Due to the high degree of interconnectedness among veterinary and human medicine cardiac fields, the concept of One Health provides an integrative framework that enables both industries to bridge the knowledge gap concerning clinical research in each respective field, thus increasing the likelihood of transitional medical approaches between sectors.³A representation of this concept is depicted in the tendency for both companion animals and humans to develop similar diseases in similar ways such as weakening of cardiac musculature with increased age.³

The One Health concept also brings to light the importance of ethics throughout the clinical trial process, in both veterinary and human medicine fields. More specifically, it highlights that animal health and well-being, like human health and well-being, must be well understood and considered before, during, and after completing any clinical trial process. When ethics are considered, bidirectional translational knowledge can be effectively formed in cardiovascular research. This is best accomplished through cyclical research, starting with basic research, followed by preclinical testing in animals, and culminating in clinical application and observation.⁴An example includes interventional cardiology in veterinary medicine, especially procedures such as balloon valvuloplasty and cardiac pacing, which were initially researched and developed in veterinary patients and ultimately led to advancements in human-grade medical infrastructure as well as clinical data generation, which enables continued improvement of cardiac medical infrastructure in both veterinary and human medicine fields.⁴

Likewise, given the fact that cardiomyopathies are among some of the most common inherited cardiac diseases in both humans and animals (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and right ventricular cardiomyopathy, to name a few), collaboration between veterinary and human medicine cardiac surgical specialists shows promise to provide insight and strategies to mitigate risk and disease well before needing to intervene surgically.⁵

Thane Hogan is a current first-year veterinary student at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Reference

1. Bradshaw A, Bradshaw JC, Quinn R, Briscoe JB, Lawton JS. 80 Years After the First Blalock- Thomas-Taussig Shunt: Cardiac Research in Canines That Saved Lives. Journal of Surgical Research. 2025;312:252-262. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2025.06.003
2. Augusto C, Alonso I, González RM, et al. Translational Echocardiography: The Dog as a Clinical Research Model of Cardiac Dysfunction. Applied Sciences. 2023;13(7):4437-4437. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/app13074437
3. Han L, Lee Y, Lee H, Lee H, Lee JI. Overcoming Challenges in Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Human and Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary Sciences. 2024;11(11):518-518. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11110518
4. Popiel-Dziewierz S, Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak, Artur Dziewierz. From bench to bedside and back: translational cardiovascular interventions in veterinary medicine. Advances in Interventional Cardiology. 2025;21(3):295-304. doi:https://doi.org/10.5114/aic.2025.154190
5. Rivas VN, Stern JA, Ueda Y. The Role of Personalized Medicine in Companion Animal Cardiology. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice. 2023;53(6):1255-1276. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2023.05.016