Ventricular assist device implantation using a right thoracotomy.

Most patients needing implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD) require repeated sternotomy; some after cardiac surgery, and others later for heart transplantation. The purpose of this study was to establish the right thoracotomy technique as an alternative for VAD implantation to reduce repeated sternotomy-related morbidity and mortality. We performed a right thoracotomy in animals, preclinical cadaver fitting tests, and a clinical case.

Application of a pressure-relieving air compliance chamber in a single-pulsatile extracorporeal life support system: an experimental study.

Nonpulsatile blood pumps are mainly used in extracorporeal life support systems. Although pulsating blood flow is known to be physiological, a pulsatile pump is not commonly applied in a circuit with a membrane oxygenator because of damage to the blood cells. The hypothesis that the placement of a pressure-relieving compliance chamber in a circuit might reduce blood cell trauma was tested.

Acute descending aortic dissection associated with coarctation in adult.

A 44-year-old man with congenital aortic coarctation experienced acute dissection that crossed the coarctation and extended to both iliac arteries. The primary entry of the dissection was proximal to the coarctation segment, just below the origin of the left subclavian artery. Surgical procedures involved resection of the diseased segment including the coarctation, and graft interposition.

Korean artificial heart (AnyHeart): an experimental study and the first human application.

A Korean artificial heart (AnyHeart) has been implanted in 29 various animals (52-470 kg) to evaluate hemodynamic performance and electromechanical stability. Most were implantable biventricular assist devices in use. A right thoracotomy approach has been a standard technique of implantation.