OBJECTIVE: The feasibility and efficacy of the pneumatic 'Berlin Heart' ventricular assist device (VAD) were evaluated in 14 pediatric patients with profound cardiogenic shock refractory to conventional therapy. METHODS: There were two patient groups. Eleven patients, aged 2 weeks 15 years and weighing 3.2-52 kg received a left ventricular assist device or a biventricular assist device as a bridge to cardiac transplantation (bridge group). Nine of them had liver, kidney, or lung dysfunction before device implantation. Three patients were supported with a biventricular assist device for myocardial recovery (recovery group): a 6-month-old girl for postcardiotomy shock, a 10-month-old girl for allograft failure after cardiac transplantation, and a 4-year-old boy with acute myocarditis. RESULTS: In the bridge group, eight patients were transplanted after a bridge duration of 6-98 days (mean, 32 days) with five long-term survivors. Organ functions were normalized during bridging in all of the transplant recipients. In the recovery group, the first patient was removed from support after 2 days because of irreversible brain damage. The second patient was weaned from biventricular support after 8 days, but suffered from recurrent allograft failure. The third patient received biventricular support for 21 days followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and was subsequently discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The 'Berlin Heart' VAD can keep selected infants and children with life-threatening heart failure for weeks or months.
OBJECTIVE: The feasibility and efficacy of the pneumatic 'Berlin Heart' ventricular assist device (VAD) were evaluated in 14 pediatric patients with profound cardiogenic shock refractory to conventional therapy. METHODS: There were two patient groups. Eleven patients, aged 2 weeks 15 years and weighing 3.2-52 kg received a left ventricular assist device or a biventricular assist device as a bridge to cardiac transplantation (bridge group). Nine of them had liver, kidney, or lung dysfunction before device implantation. Three patients were supported with a biventricular assist device for myocardial recovery (recovery group): a 6-month-old girl for postcardiotomy shock, a 10-month-old girl for allograft failure after cardiac transplantation, and a 4-year-old boy with acute myocarditis. RESULTS: In the bridge group, eight patients were transplanted after a bridge duration of 6-98 days (mean, 32 days) with five long-term survivors. Organ functions were normalized during bridging in all of the transplant recipients. In the recovery group, the first patient was removed from support after 2 days because of irreversible brain damage. The second patient was weaned from biventricular support after 8 days, but suffered from recurrent allograft failure. The third patient received biventricular support for 21 days followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and was subsequently discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The 'Berlin Heart' VAD can keep selected infants and children with life-threatening heart failure for weeks or months.
Authors: Guillermo E Moreno; Alberto Charroqui; María L Pilán; Ricardo H Magliola; Mariela P Krynski; María Althabe; Luis M Landry; Gabriela Sciuccati; Alejandra Villa; Horacio Vogelfang Journal: Pediatr Cardiol Date: 2011-03-20 Impact factor: 1.655
Authors: Brigitte Stiller; Julia Lemmer; Frank Merkle; Vladimir Alexi-Meskishvili; Yuguo Weng; Michael Hübler; Andreas Koster; Thorsten Drews; Peter E Lange; Roland Hetzer Journal: Intensive Care Med Date: 2004-07-22 Impact factor: 17.440
Authors: Scott R Auerbach; Marc E Richmond; Kurt R Schumacher; Dalia Lopez-Colon; Max B Mitchell; Mark W Turrentine; Ryan S Cantor; Robert A Niebler; Pirooz Eghtesady Journal: J Heart Lung Transplant Date: 2017-10-03 Impact factor: 10.247