Surgical technique and hemodynamic characteristics of partial cardiac replacement with an artificial left ventricle.

To evaluate a method of mechanical replacement of the left ventricle in patients with left ventricular failure, we used a single mechanical ventricle in experimental animals. Identical mechanical ventricles were placed in six Hereford calves to obtain data for partial replacement. Four of the animals were weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass, and the other two died because of kinked grafts and poor function of the right ventricle. The main problems occurring with the mechanical ventricle were postoperative bleeding and kinking of the grafts, both of which can be solved with improvements in the design of the device.