Postcardiotomy left ventricular assistance device implantation in a child: brief considerations

Mechanical circulatory support after congenital heart surgery is uncommon, but not unusual. Stunning of ischemic myocardium after cardiopulmonary bypass could occur due to many reasons. According to the literature, this complication is rare in our center, but some options about implantation of a postcardiotomy left ventricular assistance device (LVAD) in toddlers deserve attention. Furthermore, although the VAD has been a well-established therapy for larger adolescents and adult patients with advanced heart failure, current experience with the use of VAD for mechanical circulatory support in infants and young children with small body surface area is still limited. Keywords: congenital; left ventricle; mechanical support; inotropes (Published: 17 August 2012) Citation: Mechanical Circulatory Support 2012, 3 : 18867 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/mcs.v3i0.18867