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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1791533
Short Communication

Total Artificial Heart Implantation as a Bridge to Transplantation in Slovakia

Michal Hulman
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University, National Institute for Cardiovascular diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
,
Panagiotis Artemiou
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University, National Institute for Cardiovascular diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
,
Stefan Durdik
2   Department of Surgical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, St. Elizabeth Oncology Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia
,
Peter Lesny
3   Department of Heart Failure, Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University, National Institute for Cardiovascular diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
,
Ingrid Olejarova
4   Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, National Institute for Cardiovascular diseases, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
,
Eva Goncalvesova
3   Department of Heart Failure, Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University, National Institute for Cardiovascular diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
,
Ivo Gasparovic
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University, National Institute for Cardiovascular diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Abstract

Although left ventricular assist device implantation represents the majority of durable mechanical circulatory support implants for patients with advanced heart failure, as many as 20 to 30% will subsequently have right heart failure requiring extended inotropic support or short-term mechanical circulatory support, and the total artificial heart is an established tool in the bridge to transplant armamentarium. The aim of this short report is to present our center's experience with the use of SynCardia total artificial heart. Between November 2017 and April 2021, 10 SynCardia total artificial heart devices were implanted. Of the 10 patients who underwent total artificial heart implantation, 6 (60%) were successfully bridged to transplant with a median time of 6.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 6–8) months, and 4 patients died on device support during the index hospitalization. The 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year survival rates after heart transplantation were the same at 66.7% (4/6). Despite the uncertain future of total artificial hearts, it remains a viable option for patients who require biventricular bridge to transplant or for a select subset of patients with advance heart failure who may not otherwise survive.

Keywords

total artificial heart - SynCardia TAH - biventricular assist device - outcomes - postoperative complications


Publication History

Received: 10 June 2024

Accepted: 04 September 2024

Article published online:
29 September 2024

© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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