Less Invasive Thoratec LVAD Insertion: A Surgical Technique

(#2000-67789 ... June 8, 2000)

J. Donald Hill, MD, G. James Avery, II, MD, Glenn Egrie, MD, Kevin Turley, MD, Steve Reichenbach, PhD

Department of Cardiac Surgery, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA

ABSTRACT

Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation is historically a complicated, invasive operation performed on critically ill patients and is often associated with bleeding and multiorgan morbidity. The purpose of this investigation was to devise an LVAD insertion technique, utilizing the concepts of less invasive cardiac surgery, that would be a less complicated operation, with low morbidity, and still meet all the goals of the standard procedure. We describe the technical details of a "less invasive" LVAD implantation.

AUTHOR/ARTICLE INFORMATION

Presented at the Third Annual Meeting of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, Atlanta, Georgia, June 8-10, 2000.

Acknowledgments: This study was supported in part by a research grant from The Margoes Foundation, San Francisco, CA.

Keywords: BiVAD = Biventricular Assist Device, FFP = Fresh Frozen Plasma, ICS = Intercostal Space, INR = International Normalized Ratio, LVAD = Left Ventricular Assist Device, Minimal Access Incisions, Minimal Access Surgery, PTT = Partial Thromboplastin Time, RBC = Red Blood Cell, TACS = Transapical Cardiac Surgery, VAD = Ventricular Assist Device

This manuscript was peer reviewed and accepted for presentation at the Third Annual Meeting of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, Atlanta, Georgia, June 8-10, 2000.