title: Levitronix ventricular assist devices as a bridge to recovery after profound biventricular heart failure associated with pulmonary aspergillosis.
abstract: A patient with multisystem organ failure and refractory cardiopulmonary shock stemming from Aspergillus pneumonia was treated with 2 Levitronix ventricular assist devices as a bridge-to-recovery. After ventricular assist device placement, the patient recovered myocardial function. The ventricular assist devices were removed on post-implant Day 7, and the patient made a full long-term recovery. Ventricular assist devices should be strongly considered, as bridges to recovery, to support patients with acute myocardial dysfunction associated with sepsis while the underlying infection is treated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. bwhit@umn.edu
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Whitson
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: D'Cunha
authors.forename: Amy C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Knutsen
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Kenneth K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000150:complications*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D020127:Recovery of Function