Mechanical bridge to recovery in fulminant myocarditis.
A patient with acute fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis and cardiogenic shock was successfully treated by mechanical off loading of the left ventricle. A nonpulsatile left-heart bypass was undertaken with an implantable centrifugal blood pump. Careful weaning resulted in device removal on the seventh day. Left and right ventricular function is sustained at 7 months. Widespread application of this method depends on the availability of an inexpensive user friendly blood pump, appropriate weaning protocols and emerging strategies to promote sustainable myocardial recovery.
Department of Cardiac Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford, England. swestaby@ahf.org.uk
S
S
Westaby
T
T
Katsumata
D
D
Pigott
X Y
XY
Jin
K
K
Saatvedt
M
M
Horton
R E
RE
Clark
D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D018611:Heart Bypass, Left / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000628:therapy*