A Standardized Procedure for Post-Mortem Harvesting of the Brain and Rete Mirabile in Domestic Pigs

The domestic pig is a well-established animal model and may be regarded as the gold standard for preclinical testing of cardiovascular medical devices, given anatomical similarities to humans. Pigs (among other species) possess a unique anatomical structure—the rete mirabile (RM), an arterial anastomosis located at the base of the cranium, preventing the passage of emboli to brain circulation. The RM has become a target site for post-mortem evaluation, primarily in safety studies involving left-sided cardiovascular devices. We present here a post-mortem dissection technique to achieve complete and intact harvest of the brain and RM in pigs. This surgical dissection technique was developed based on fluoroscopic angiography and computed tomography (CT) of the pig’s head. The dissection process involved craniotomy, incision of the dura, followed by harvesting of the brain and RM. The developed technique facilitates efficient and effective harvesting of the brain and RM in pigs.