The DuraHeart VAD, a magnetically levitated centrifugal pump: the University of Vienna bridge-to-transplant experience.

Background: The clinical application of the DuraHeart (Terumo Heart Inc, USA) has begun in Europe as a clinical trial of a third-generation implantable centrifugal blood pump. Four successful clinical implants are presented.

Methods And Results: Four male patients had end-stage left heart failure and received a DuraHeart VAD as a left ventricular assist device for bridge-to-transplantation. The pump showed good performance with flow rates of 4.9+/-0.5 L/min after gradual weaning of extracorporeal circulation. The pump flow was then maintained at 6.1+/-0.5, 5.5+/-0.3, 5.5+/-0.1, 5.7+/-0.1, 5.5, 6.4 and 6.5 L/min at the 1st, 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 20th and 24th postoperative week, respectively. No significant elevation of mean plasma-free hemoglobin was detected. The patients were discharged on the 18th, 42nd, 41st and 31st postoperative day, respectively, and all were successfully transplanted on the 202nd, 84th, 128th and 96th postoperative day, respectively. At the time of transplant surfaces of the removed pumps were free from thrombus formation, although intraventricular pannus growth was observed around the inflow cannulae in all patients.

Conclusion: The DuraHeart VAD showed stable and sufficient circulatory support for the bridge-to-transplant procedure in this cohort of 4 patients.