Development of "plug and play" TransApical to aorta VAD.

Our TransApical to Aorta pump, a simple and minimally invasive left ventricular (LV) assist device, has a flexible, thin-wall conduit connected by six struts to a motor with ball bearings and a turbine extending into the blood path. Pulsatile flow is inherent in the design as the native heart contraction preloads the turbine. In six healthy sheep, the LV apex was exposed by a fifth intercostal left thoracotomy. The pump was inserted from the cardiac apex through the LV cavity into the ascending aorta. Aortic and LV pressure waveforms, pump flow, motor current, and pressure were directly measured. All six cannula pumps were smoothly advanced on the first attempt. Pump implantation was <15 minutes (13.6 +/- 1.8 minutes). Blood flow was 2.8 l/min to 4.4 l/min against 86 +/- 8.9 mm Hg mean arterial blood pressure at maximum flow. LV systemic pressure decreased significantly from 102.5 +/- 5.55 mm Hg to 58.8 +/- 15.5 mm Hg at the fourth hour of pumping (p = 0.042), and diastolic LV pressure decreased from 8.4 +/- 3.7 to 6.1 +/- 2.3 mm Hg (p > 0.05). The pump operated with a current of 0.4 to 0.7 amps and rotation speed of 28,000 to 33,000 rpm. Plasma free hemoglobin was 4 +/- 1.41 mg/dl (range, 2 to 5 mg/dl) at termination. No thrombosis was observed at necropsy.A left ventricular assist device using the transapical to aorta approach is quick, reliable, minimally invasive, and achieves significant LV unloading with minimal blood trauma.