TY - JOUR
T1 - Bridge to transplantation with the MicroMed DeBakey ventricular assist device axial pump
T2 - A single centre report
AU - Bruschi, Giuseppe
AU - Ribera, Elena
AU - Lanfranconi, Marco
AU - Russo, Claudio
AU - Colombo, Tiziano
AU - Garatti, Andrea
AU - Oliva, Fabrizio
AU - Milazzo, Filippo
AU - Frigerio, Maria
AU - Vitali, Ettore
PY - 2006/2
Y1 - 2006/2
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular assist devices (VADs) are an accepted therapy to bridge patients with end-stage heart failure to heart transplantation. The DeBakey VAD, a continuous axial flow pump weighing 93 g, has been introduced into clinical practice as a bridge to transplant. METHODS: Starting from April 2000, 17 patients (12 males, five females, mean age 44.3 ± 12.8 years; 11 dilated idiopathic cardiomyopathy, five ischaemic cardiomyopathy, one pulsatile device failure) with end-stage heart failure were implanted with a DeBakey VAD as a bridge to transplantation at our institution. Before implant, all patients suffered from severe heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IV) despite optimal medical therapy and were put on the waiting list for heart transplantation. Mean cardiac index was 1.59 ± 0.51 l/min/m2. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were successfully transplanted after 99 ± 117 days of assistance (range 11-443 days). Two patients died during assistance of multiorgan failure, one patient is still on VAD. No patient needed additional right ventricular mechanical support. Left ventricular/left VAD thrombosis occurred in one patient who was successfully treated conservatively. No clinical elevation of plasma free haemoglobin was detected. Neither device, driveline, abdominal pocket infection nor device failure occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience with the continuous axial flow DeBakey VAD, a high success rate was obtained associated with a low risk of complications. All the patients tolerated continuous blood flow for extended periods that makes this device a valuable alternative to pulsatile VADs as a bridge to transplantation.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular assist devices (VADs) are an accepted therapy to bridge patients with end-stage heart failure to heart transplantation. The DeBakey VAD, a continuous axial flow pump weighing 93 g, has been introduced into clinical practice as a bridge to transplant. METHODS: Starting from April 2000, 17 patients (12 males, five females, mean age 44.3 ± 12.8 years; 11 dilated idiopathic cardiomyopathy, five ischaemic cardiomyopathy, one pulsatile device failure) with end-stage heart failure were implanted with a DeBakey VAD as a bridge to transplantation at our institution. Before implant, all patients suffered from severe heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IV) despite optimal medical therapy and were put on the waiting list for heart transplantation. Mean cardiac index was 1.59 ± 0.51 l/min/m2. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were successfully transplanted after 99 ± 117 days of assistance (range 11-443 days). Two patients died during assistance of multiorgan failure, one patient is still on VAD. No patient needed additional right ventricular mechanical support. Left ventricular/left VAD thrombosis occurred in one patient who was successfully treated conservatively. No clinical elevation of plasma free haemoglobin was detected. Neither device, driveline, abdominal pocket infection nor device failure occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience with the continuous axial flow DeBakey VAD, a high success rate was obtained associated with a low risk of complications. All the patients tolerated continuous blood flow for extended periods that makes this device a valuable alternative to pulsatile VADs as a bridge to transplantation.
KW - Heart failure
KW - Heart transplantation
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U2 - 10.2459/01.JCM.0000203847.52149.87
DO - 10.2459/01.JCM.0000203847.52149.87
M3 - Article
C2 - 16645370
AN - SCOPUS:33646832539
VL - 7
SP - 114
EP - 118
JO - Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine
JF - Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine
SN - 1558-2027
IS - 2
ER -