title: Aortic cannula disruption following long-term LVAD support.
abstract: The Levitronix CentriMag is approved in Europe for 30 days as uni- or biventricular support in acute heart failure as a bridge to recovery, bridge to heart transplantation or to a long-term left ventricular assist device (LVAD). We report the case of a patient who was supported with the same Levitronix CentriMag pump for 119 days without changing any components of the circuit or the pump head because of an anatomical condition which precluded the feasibility of pump exchange and who did not experience any mechanical failure of the impeller but eventually died due to the rupture of the cannulae. This is the first report of failure of paracorporeal short-term LVAD due to disruption of one cannula with a properly functioning pump.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery ICU, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pappalardo
authors.forename: Teodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nisi
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melisurgo
authors.forename: Mariachiara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Bonis
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D057785:Catheters / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors