title: Pimobendan in Chronic Right Heart Failure in a Left Ventricular Assist Device Patient.
abstract: We report the case of a 76-year-old patient who developed chronic right heart failure 1 year after left ventricular assist device implantation due to ischemic cardiomyopathy. Initial recompensation was achieved through dobutamin, sildenafil, and levosimendan treatment. Yet, discharge was successful only after the off-label use of the oral calcium sensitizer pimobendan. Ten months after discharge, the patient presents with no clinical signs of right heart failure and significantly improved right heart function without any impairment in quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Centre Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kreibich
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Centre Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berchtold-Herz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Centre Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedhelm
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beyersdorf
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Centre Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trummer
keywords: circulatory assist devices; heart failure; right ventricle