Mechanical ventricular support lowers pulmonary vascular resistance in a patient with congential heart disease.
Severely elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is a relative contraindication to orthotopic heart transplantation. A potential novel strategy to reverse elevated PVR may be implantation of a chronic left ventricular assist device with subsequent left ventricular unloading. We present a patient with elevated PVR secondary to congenital heart disease who was listed for heart-lung transplant. The patient underwent placement of biventricular assist devices and subsequently experienced marked reduction of PVR, ultimately enabling successful heart transplantation.
Petrofski
Jason A
JA
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27703, USA.
Hoopes
Charles W
CW
Bashore
Thomas M
TM
Russell
Stuart D
SD
Milano
Carmelo A
CA
D000328:Adult; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D000075202:Contraindications; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*