Ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation

Prof. Dr. Matthias Karck was born in 1961 in Hamburg, Germany. Raised in northern Germany he graduated from medical school at Kiel University in 1986. In 1987 he started his surgical training at the department of surgery at Hannover Medical School under the guidance of Prof. Hans Georg Borst. In 1993 he moved to the department of cardiac surgery at Kiel University Hospital before he returned back to Hannover in 1996 following Prof. Axel Haverich who succeeded Prof. Borst at that time. In 1995 he became staff surgeon. In 1997 he completed his habilitation thesis and became assistant professor in cardiac surgery at Hannover Medical School. In 2001 he became full Professor. Since 2006 he is Professor and chairman of the department of Cardiac Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital.

Abstract

The capacity of the heart to maintain cardiac output can be acutely impaired as a result of myocardial infarction, graft failure after transplantation, or other cardiac events. Medical therapy or the use of an intra-aortic balloon pump may be insufficient to help the patient overcome acute cardiogenic shock. The set-up of mechanical assist devices such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or patient relocation into the operating room requires valuable time that is often not available. The aim of our study was to test whether a novel left ventricular assist device can be percutaneously implanted without fluoroscopy under echocardiographic navigation in a preclinical model. … Percutaneous puncture of the interatrial septum using a Brockenbrough needle and insertion of the afferent cannula into the femoral vein and its advance to the right atrium and through the interatrial septum into the left atrium was performed under echocardiographic control. The efferent cannula was inserted into the contralateral femoral artery using the Seldinger technique. … the percutaneous implantation of a left ventricular assist device was successful under only TEE navigation.The ability to abstain from fluoroscopy and the feasibility of inserting the afferent cannula across the interatrial septum guided by TEE allows for application of this system in intensive care units, saving precious time as well as financial and human resources.
Heart Surg Forum. 2007;10(2):E170-2.