title: Initial clinical experience with the Haemopump left ventricular assist device.
abstract: The Haemopump is an intra-arterial, axial flow, temporary left ventricular assist device. The intra-cardiac pump assembly is connected by a flexible drive shaft to a high speed motor and a drive console. The pump is placed in the left ventricle via the femoral artery, iliac artery or abdominal aorta. Blood is withdrawn from the left ventricle and pumped in a continuous, non-pulsatile fashion into the descending thoracic aorta. We report the use of the Haemopump to provide circulatory assistance in 2 patients with severe graft dysfunction following cardiac transplantation. Both patients were successfully weaned from the Haemopump after 6 and 3 days of support. The first patient subsequently died of overwhelming fungal sepsis and the other remains well 3 months after transplantation with normal left ventricular function. The Haemopump is an effective temporary cardiac assist device for application in severe left ventricular failure.
authors.affiliation: Heart and Heart-lung Replacement Service, Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Salamonsen
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Rosenfeldt
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Esmore
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000628:therapy*