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Updated: May 29, 2026

Use of Two Intracorporeal Ventricular Assist Devices As a Total Artificial Heart
Published on: May 11, 2018
Biological mitral valve prosthesis in a patient supported with a permanent left ventricle assist device
Martin Schweiger1, Alexander Stepanenko, Juliane Vierecke
1Deutsches Herzzentrum German Berlin, Germany. mschweiger@dhzb.de
Abstract:
Mitral valve pathology, especially status postvalve replacement (biological or mechanical), remains challenging in patients suffering from end-stage heart failure and undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement due to several factors (potential source for thromboembolic complications, risk for structural deterioration of the biological prosthesis leading to stenosis, and inadequate LVAD preload). We report a case of long-term LVAD support in a patient with a previously implanted biological mitral valve prosthesis. During LVAD insertion, the valve was left in place, and it functioned well until the death of the patient 3 years later. The patient remained free of any valve-related complications.
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