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Limited mechanical circulatory support following orthotopic heart transplantation

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, 47-83 boulevard de l'hôpital, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 1 42 16 56 81; fax: +33 1 42 16 56 39.

E-mail address: stephaneaubert{at}yahoo.fr (S. Aubert).

Shortage of donors enhances harvesting of borderline hearts. When such organs fail, a ventricular assist device may salvage the patient waiting for either recovery or for retransplantation. We describe a series of 12 patients who required circulatory support following orthotopic heart transplantation, with the use of four different devices. Four patients survived. The aim of this study is to define: (1) what is the best timing for implantation; (2) which is the best ventricular assist device in this indication; and (3) a subgroup of acute right heart failure with a specific outcome.

Key Words: Ventricular assist devices; Heart transplantation; Graft failure; Mechanical circulatory support; Multiorgan failure