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.
Westaby
S
S
Department of Cardiac Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford, England. swestaby@ahf.org.uk
Katsumata
T
T
Pigott
D
D
Jin
X Y
XY
Saatvedt
K
K
Horton
M
M
Clark
R E
RE
D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D018611:Heart Bypass, Left / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000628:therapy*