Implantation of biventricular assist devices for chronic heart transplant rejection.
Mechanical circulatory support has been used to treat graft failure caused by rejection after heart transplantation, but the prognosis remains bleak. Organ failure induced by the addition of or an increase in immunosuppressive medication is known to be a cause of the poor outcomes. Thus we tried a new therapeutic technique that allows complete withdrawal of immunosuppressive medication, as the donor heart is removed and circulatory support is maintained with a biventricular assist device.
Sezai
Akira
A
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. akisez@eagle.ocn.ne.jp
Arusoglu
Latif
L
Minami
Kazutomo
K
El-Banayosy
Aly
A
Körfer
Reiner
R
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design