Conversion to Biventricular Pulsatile Assist as a Bridge to Cardiac Transplantation : A Case Report

A 42 year old male patient presented with chest pain. Cardiac catheterization revealed multivessel coronary disease with a decreased ejection fraction. Following cardiac revascularization, the patient's condition deteriorated and the patient was placed on a Biomedicus left ventricular assist device in the intensive care unit. The following day, an Abiomed BVS 5000 cardiac support system was obtained by the hospital. The patient was brought back to the operating room for implantation of a biventricular pulsatile cardiac assist device and removal of a nonpulsatile left ventricular assist device as a bridge for possible cardiac transplantation. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was transported back to the intensive care unit in stable condition. The patient was accepted for consideration for cardiac transplantation and transported by helicopter to the cardiac transplant center without incident.