Successful Long-Term Bridge to Transplant in a 5-Year-Old Boy with the EXCOR Left Ventricular Assist Device

Abstract

We report on a 5-year-old boy who presented with postcardiotomy failure after aortic valve replacement and had to undergo implantation of a Berlin Heart-Excor system since treatment with ECMO did not improve myocardial pump function. After a stormy postoperative course with delayed sternal closure after 9 days, the young boy finally recovered and could be fully mobilized. Until successful heart transplantation after a support interval of 77 days, he experienced no device-related infectious or thromboembolic complications.

Key words

Congenital aortic stenosis - left ventricular assist device - heart transplantation

References

• 1 Duncan B W, Hraska V, Jonas R A. et al . Mechanical circulatory support in children with cardiac disease.  J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1999;  117 529-542
• 2 Weyand M, Kececioglu D, Schmid C. et al . Successful bridging to cardiac transplantation in a dystrophic infant with the use of a new paracorporeal pneumatic pump.  J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1997;  114 505-507
• 3 Throckmorton A L, Allaire P E, Gutgesell H P. et al . Pediatric circulatory support systems.  ASAIO J. 2002;  48 216-221
• 4 Schiessler A, Warnecke H, Friedel N, Hennig E, Hetzer R. Clinical use of the Berlin Biventricular Assist Device as a bridge to transplantation.  ASAIO Trans. 1990;  36 M706-M708
• 5 Hetzer R, Loebe M, Potapov E V. et al . Circulatory support with pneumatic paracorporeal ventricular assist device in infants and children.  Ann Thorac Surg. 1998;  66 1498-1506
• 6 Stiller B, Hetzer R, Weng Y. et al . Heart transplantation in children after mechanical circulatory support with pulsatile pneumatic assist device.  J Heart Lung Transplant. 2003;  22 1201-1208
• 7 Konertz W, Hotz H, Schneider M, Redlin M, Reul H. Clinical experience with the MEDOS HIA-VAD system in infants and children: a preliminary report.  Ann Thorac Surg. 1997;  63 1138-1144