Heart Transplantation After Longest-Term Support With Ventricular Assist Devices

The use of mechanical circulatory support devices to keep patients alive until transplantation has become essential in the face of an increasing organ shortage. We report successful heart transplantations after 841 days of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support in a child with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and after 547 days of biventricular assist device (BVAD) support in another child with cardiomyopathy. To our knowledge, this report is the first on the longest-term (841 days) LVAD and the longest-term (547 days) BVAD support in children who were mobile and awake during the support, as a most effective bridge to heart transplantation. (C) 2014 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons