An intracorporeal (abdominal) left ventricular assist device. Initial clinical trials
J. C. Norman, J. M. Fuqua, C. W. Hibbs, C. H. Edmonds, S. R. Igo and D. A. Cooley
We have initiated clinical trials with an intracorporeal (abdominal)
partial artificial heart and ten preterminal postcardiotomy patients have
been studied. During profound left ventricular failure, the device captures
the entire cardiac output from the apex of the left ventricle at low
pressures (20 to 40 mm Hg) and ejects (at 80 to 150 mm Hg) into the
infrarenal abdominal aorta; the biological aortic valve opens only
intermittently and the entire systemic circulation is pump generated. The
device is six to ten times more effective than intra-aortic balloon pumping
in man and has maintained systemic perfusion during clinical asystole and
ventricular fibrillation. We have documented that the profoundly depressed
postcardiotomy left ventricle, initially incapable of ejection, can recover
during total left ventricular unloading with the abdominal left ventricular
assist device support over a seven-day period.
