Different applications for left ventricular mechanical support with the Impella Recover 100 microaxial blood pump

The "Impella Recover 100" (IR100) is a new intravascular microaxial blood pump for use as short-term mechanical support for cases of acutely reduced left ventricular function. From September 2002 to April 2003, we used the IR100 to support 5 patients: 2 patients were bridged to heart transplant; 2 were being treated for fulminant acute myocarditis; and 1 for post-cardiotomy low-output syndrome. Only 1 patient with myocarditis died of septic shock, 2 had successful heart transplants; and the latter 2 were slowly weaned from the device and, at 3-month follow-up, showed moderate improvement of left ventricular (LV) function. Our initial experience with the IR100 as mechanical support for patients in cardiogenic shock of varying etiology has been positive, yielding good survival in a population of particularly compromised patients.