Recovery of acute myocarditis with biventricular assist device in infant

A 5-month-old boy was admitted to hospital presenting with cardiogenic shock. The echocardiographic examinations revealed a severe ventricular dysfunction. Despite the aggressive medical therapy, his hemodynamic status progressively deteriorated. Mechanical circulatory support was initially provided with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Because his hemodynamic condition had not improved, the ECMO was removed and a biventricular assist device (BVAD) was instituted. After 10 days, the ventricular function had recovered and the BVAD could be removed. This report describes a successful bridge to recovery using a BVAD in an infant suffering from acute myocarditis.