Successful bridge to transplant with the Berlin Heart after cavopulmonary shunt.

Mechanical cardiac assistance for infants and children may be accomplished using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ventricular assist device support, and are now well established as a bridge to cardiac transplantation or recovery in biventricular hearts, usually in the setting of low cardiac output states due to cardiomyopathy or acute myocarditis. Ventricular assist device support remains less well described in the setting of single ventricle physiology. We report the case of a 3-year-old girl who developed severe right ventricular failure 2 years after cavopulmonary shunt after an initial Stage I Norwood operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Successful bridge to recovery with 120 days of mechanical support in an infant with myocarditis.

An 8-month-old boy with acute myocarditis was mechanically supported with the Berlin Heart EXCOR biventricular assist device. Signs of myocardial recovery were not apparent until 40 days from presentation and ventricular function continued to improve with device removal possible after 120 days of support. He had normal cardiac function 3 months after device removal.

Long-term outcome following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for congenital diaphragmatic hernia: the UK experience.

Objective: We evaluated the long-term outcome of neonates receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Study design A retrospective review of all 73 neonates with CDH supported with ECMO in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 2000, with follow-up to January 2003. Information was from hospital charts and from communication with family doctors and pediatricians.