Primary graft failure after heart transplantation. Successful recovery with pneumatic biventricular assistance.
A 41-year-old male underwent orthotopic heart transplantation complicated by intraoperative acute allograft failure. The patient required immediate placement of a pneumatic biventricular assist device which was kept for 49 days until graft recovery resulted in successful explantation of the device. The patient was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 112. Management of primary cardiac allograft failure with mechanical ventricular assistance is discussed.
Fernández
A L
AL
Departamento de Cardiologiá y Cirugiá Cardiovascular, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Herreros
J M
JM
Llorens
R
R
Martinez
A
A
Panizo
A
A
Manito
N
N
D000328:Adult; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous