title: Heart transplantation after longest-term support with ventricular assist devices.
abstract: The use of mechanical circulatory support devices to keep patients alive until transplantation has become essential in the face of an increasing organ shortage. We report successful heart transplantations after 841 days of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support in a child with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and after 547 days of biventricular assist device (BVAD) support in another child with cardiomyopathy. To our knowledge, this report is the first on the longest-term (841 days) LVAD and the longest-term (547 days) BVAD support in children who were mobile and awake during the support, as a most effective bridge to heart transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hetzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Miera
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Photiadis
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Edwald
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knosalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: delmo-walter@dhzb.de.
authors.forename: Eva Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Delmo Walter
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D058327:Norwood Procedures; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed