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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Use of Two Intracorporeal Ventricular Assist Devices As a Total Artificial Heart
Published on: May 11, 2018
Complete atrioventricular block decreases left ventricular assist device flow rate
Frédéric Collart1, Pierre Dieuzaide, François Kerbaul
1Cardiac Surgery Department, La Timone University, Marseille, France.
Abstract:
A 52-year-old man, living at home, had been on left ventricular assistance for 15 months with a Novacor pump (Worldheart, Ottawa, ON, Canada). Following the onset of effort dyspnea that had recently become worse, he was admitted to the hospital. A review of the pump showed that its flow rate had significantly decreased. An electrocardiogram showed a third-degree atrioventricular block. A pacemaker was implanted and the patient became asymptomatic immediately afterwards. This clinical case report shows the importance of satisfactory right ventricle filling in these patients. Right ventricle filling can be impaired by conduction disorders.
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