Survival after spontaneous primary left main coronary artery dissection. Acute surgical intervention with the Jarvik 7-70 artificial heart.
Spontaneous primary dissection of a coronary artery is extremely rare, and when it involves the left main trunk the outcome is catastrophic. A 41-year-old woman who survived such a dissection and resultant myocardial infarct with cardiogenic shock is reported here. The patient required a Jarvik 7-70 artificial heart to sustain life until an orthotopic cardiac transplant was performed, and she is now alive and well.
Keon
W J
WJ
University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa Civic Hospital, Canada.
Koshal
A
A
Boyd
W D
WD
Laramee
L
L
Farrell
E
E
Walley
V M
VM
D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000601:surgery*; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006801:Humans