The Berlin Heart EXCOR in an 11-year-old boy: a bridge to recovery after myocardial infarction.

When a donor heart is not available during the end stage of heart failure, the implantation of a ventricular assist device is the only therapeutic alternative. Many such devices are designed to provide circulatory support to adults, but very few are available for children and infants, especially in the United States. In children, implantation of ventricular assist devices that are designed for adults carries a high risk of complications, because the low stroke volumes that must be used can result in inadequate pump washout and excessive thromboembolic risk.

Successful implantation of Berlin Heart INCOR system after Bentall/De Bono operation.

Berlin Heart INCOR system is a novel left ventricle assist device (LVAD), which generates a laminar blood flow. Its cannulas are implanted in the heart apex and the ascending aorta. The present paper reports a case of successful implantation of the Berlin Heart INCOR system after a Bentall/De Bono operation.

Successful fibrinolysis after acute left ventricular assist device thrombosis.

The Berlin Heart INCOR system (Berlin Heart AG, Berlin, Germany) is a left ventricular assist device that generates a laminar blood flow. One of our INCOR-implanted patients was admitted to the hospital with clinical data indicating device thrombosis. The flow through the pump was assessed by contrast injection into the inflow canula.

Some variations of the circle of Willis, important for cerebral protection in aortic surgery--a study in Eastern Europeans.

Background: During unilateral selective cerebral perfusion (SCP), via cannulation of the brachiocephalic trunk, the brain receives blood only through the right common carotid artery and the right vertebral artery. For perfusion of the contralateral (left) hemisphere it is counted on the competence of the circle of Willis (CoW). It is well known that variations of CoW are present in more than 50% of the people.

Endovascular repair of dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm in a patient with Turner syndrome.

Purpose: To report a rare case of dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm in a young patient with Turner syndrome owing to complete or partial monosomy of the X chromosome.

Case Report: A 22-year-old patient with Turner syndrome presented with a 2-month history of voice loss and dysphagia. Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) disclosed a large (53x75-mm) aneurysm with focal dissection affecting the distal part of the aortic arch and the proximal descending aorta, partially involving the left subclavian artery.

New technique for implantation of the inflow canula of Berlin Heart INCOR system.

Berlin Heart INCOR system is a left ventricle assist device (LVAD), which generates a laminar blood flow. Its inflow canula is implanted in the heart apex, while its outflow canula-in the ascending aorta. In the present work a new alternative technique for implantation of the device's inflow canula is reported.