Risk of Left Ventricular Assist Device as a Bridge to Heart Transplant Following Postinfarction Ventricular Septal Rupture |
| |
| Authors: | Vibhu R Kshettry MD Christopher T Salerno MD Alan J Bank MD |
| |
| Institution: | Cardiac Surgical Associates, P.A., Minneapolis Heart Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota;Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| |
| Abstract: | A bstract Heart transplantation is an effective treatment for end-stage heart failure. However, due to the persistent shortage of donor hearts, many patients die awaiting a transplant. Implantable left ventricular assist devices are now available as a reliable bridge to cardiac transplantation. This report presents a patient with terminal heart failure as a result of a postmyocardial infarction ventricular septal rupture (VSR), who underwent a successful placement of the HeartMate left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and velour patch closure of an apical VSR. Despite this therapy, the patient expired after developing a second VSR, which created a high-flow right-to-left shunt and caused hypoxic irreversible brain injury. We suggest that use of a left ventricular assist device as a bridge to transplantation be approached with extreme caution in a patient with a postinfarction ventricular septal rupture. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
