Aortic exclusion: a method of handling aortic insufficiency in the pediatric population needing mechanical circulatory support.

Aortic insufficiency (AI) is generally regarded as a contraindication for mechanical circulatory support in children. In the current Berlin EXCOR trial, moderate to severe AI is an exclusion criterion. There are reports in the literature of successful mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in adult patients with significant AI via "aortic exclusion" or bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement. We report the first case of aortic exclusion in an infant with moderate to severe aortic insufficiency in need of MCS.