title: Safe application of diagnostic laparoscopy during biventricular assistance.
abstract: We performed diagnostic laparoscopy in a patient who was critically unstable while on an ABIOMED BVS 5000 biventricular assist system. A relatively unique feature of the ABIOMED is the venous return being dependent only on gravity and the drawing force of venous return being the height of the inflow cannula compared with the level of the ABIOMED blood pump assembly; this did not preclude the use of pneumoperitoneum necessary for laparoscopy. The safe application of diagnostic laparoscopy in patients on a ventricular assist device is of importance in an era of increasing use of these devices and the increased potential for intraabdominal complications in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033-4612, USA.
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Starnes
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barr
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery