A New Supportive Method for Aortic Aneurysm Surgery: Centrifugal Left Heart Bypass Combined with an Oxygenator and a Heat Exchanger.

A new supportive method of centrifugal left heart bypass with oxygenation was performed in 25 patients and compared with standard left heart bypass in 45 patients. Femoro-femoral bypass was selected in another 6 patients because of the presence of a left atrial adhesion. Intraoperative complications related to standard left heart bypass, hypoxia, hypothermia, and ventricular fibrillation, were eliminated by using this method. This supportive method maintained good hemodynamics and improved the surgical result of extended thoracoabdominal aortic replacement. Hospital deaths decreased from 6.7% to 3.2%. © 1996 International Society for Artificial Organs.