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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1996; 44(2): 62-66
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1011987
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Beating Heart Implantation of a Wearable NOVACOR Left-Ventricular Assist Device

H. H. Scheld, D. Hammel, Ch. Schmid, M. Weyand, M. Deng, Th. Möllhoff1 , S. Kerber2
  • Department for Thoracic, and Cardiovascular Surgery
  • 1Department for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine
  • 2Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität, Münster, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

1995

Publication Date:
19 March 2008 (online)

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Abstract

Implantable left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are successfully used as a bridge to transplant if the patient's condition is worsening and no donor organ is available. They allow recovery of compromised organ function. However, postoperative bleeding, thrombemboelism, and right-heart failure may jeopardize the important improvement of organ function and may even lead to death. We introduce our strategy for implantation of the Novacor LVAD System, which aims at minimal bleeding and maintained right-heart function. The Novacor LVAD was implanted with the heart beating during extracorporeal circulation in 8 patients, 3 of whom had previous cardiac surgery. Postoperatively, no patient developed right heart failure or had to undergo redo thoracotomy.

Key words

Left-ventricular assistance - Implantable assist device - Novacor - Beating heart implantation

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