title: Decision making for mechanical cardiac assist in pediatric cardiac surgery.
abstract: The practice of pediatric cardiac surgery has evolved to the point where the majority of patients operated on represent the most complex end of the spectrum of congenital heart disease. Given this, the potential role for mechanical cardiac assist will continue to expand. Although extracorporeal membrane oxygenation remains the mainstay of mechanical circulatory assist, the increased use of centrifugal ventricular assist devices is changing the approach to the treatment of acute cardiac failure. A range of newly developed implantable and paracorporeal devices is beginning to make its way into the clinical practice of pediatric cardiac surgery. This article addresses the different types of support available for mechanical cardiac assist and the clinical considerations in selecting the appropriate device.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Heart Center, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA.
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Lester
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Permut
mesh_terms: D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003657:Decision Making; D004867:Equipment Design; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007423:Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping; D018579:Patient Selection