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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Rep 2015; 04(01): 021-024
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1564614
Case Report: Cardiac
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Heart-Failing Jehovah's Witness Patient Successfully Treated by Minimally Invasive LVAD Implantation without Any Blood Transfusions

Jasmin S. Hanke
1   Department of Cardiac-, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
,
Murat Avsar
1   Department of Cardiac-, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
,
Axel Haverich
1   Department of Cardiac-, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
,
Jan D. Schmitto
1   Department of Cardiac-, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

13 July 2015

10 August 2015

Publication Date:
29 October 2015 (online)

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Abstract

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation without the use of any blood products is considered as a challenge. We present a 48-year-old patient (175 cm, 75 kg, body mass index 24.5 kg/m2) who was admitted to our clinic due to end-stage heart failure. The patient is a Jehovah's witness. He declined full blood transfusion as well as use of coagulation factors. Therefore, we interdisciplinary decided to implant an LVAD via minimally invasive technique. The patient experienced an uneventful intrahospital stay and was successfully discharged home on his 17th postoperative day, proving that LVAD implantation without blood transfusions is possible by using a minimally invasive technique. This benefits not only Jehovah's witness patients, but also all patients in need of an LVAD.

Keywords

minimally invasive - LVAD - left ventricular assist device - Jehovah's witness
 

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