Bridge to transplant with the Novacor left ventricular assist system.
The Novacor left ventricular assist system is an implantable, electrically powered, wearable system that has been successfully used as a bridge to transplant since 1984. The pump is placed anterior to the left posterior rectus sheath with the percutaneous drive line positioned in the right lower abdominal wall. The seamless polyurethane blood sac is compressed by two solenoid-driven pusher plates. The inflow and outflow valves are porcine prostheses. The use of wearable external power packs facilitate patient mobility and rehabilitation before transplantation and may provide long-term support to selected patients as an alternative to transplantation.
Robbins
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RC
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5407, USA. robbins@leland.stanford.edu
Oyer
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PE
D004867:Equipment Design; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome