title: First clinical implantation of the BCM 3.5 ventricular assist device (VAD).
abstract: We report on the first human implantation of the BCM 3.5 ventricular assist device in a 46-year-old man suffering from terminal stage cardiomyopathy. The circulatory support was used as a bridge to heart transplantation. The patient was in cardiogenic shock and was on assisted circulation for 18 days after which he underwent cardiac transplantation. While receiving support from the ventricular assist device, the patient's condition improved remarkably and 50 days after transplantation he was discharged from hospital. We give a detailed description of the surgical technique, with special emphasis on the procedures for air extraction. We describe the evolution of the hemodynamic status before and after implantation. Final inspection of the device and cannulae after removal showed no thrombi and only small fibrin deposits in the membrane-wall junction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Caleya
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Valdivielso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Desco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Antoranz
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Del Cañizo
mesh_terms: D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000601:surgery*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged