title: Orthotopic heart transplantation: the bicaval technique.
abstract: Heart transplantation still remains the gold standard therapy for end-stage heart failure, although several other approaches have emerged, such as biventricular pacing, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and total artificial heart. Moreover, the increasing use of LVADs as a bridge to transplant is posing the technical challenge of LVAD removal during the procedure. We in this paper describe the bicaval technique, which currently represents the routine approach for orthotopic heart transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Toscano
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Tomaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bottio
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gambino
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bagozzi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alvise
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guariento
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bortolussi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy michelegallo@hotmail.co.uk.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tarzia
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerosa
mesh_terms: D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Bicaval technique; Heart failure; Heart transplantation; Surgical technique