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SWAT team approach to ventricular assistance
J P Brugger1, L Bonandi, M Meli
1Cardiovascular Research Institute, Sion, Switzerland.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|January 1, 1989
Summary
A specialized European team provided 23 life-saving cardiac support interventions using pneumatic biventricular devices as a bridge to cardiac transplantation. Eleven patients remain alive and well following this critical cardiac care intervention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Medical Engineering
Background:
- Established in 1986, the Cardiovascular Research Institute in Sion, Switzerland, pioneered a mobile cardiac support team.
- This team was designed to facilitate urgent cardiac transplantation by providing temporary circulatory support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of a "flying bridge-to-cardiac transplantation" team.
- To assess the role of paracorporeal pneumatic biventricular assist devices in supporting patients awaiting heart transplantation.
Main Methods:
- A multidisciplinary team (physicians, physicist, biomedical engineer, nurses) traveled to 11 European centers.
- Provided 24/7 supervision and support using transportable Pierce-Donachy biventricular devices for 23 patients.
- Managed patients requiring complete cardiac function support while awaiting transplantation.
Main Results:
- The team successfully supported 23 patients as a bridge to cardiac transplantation.
- Twenty of the 23 patients underwent cardiac transplantation.
- Eleven patients (48% of those transplanted) are alive and well, indicating long-term survival benefits.
Conclusions:
- The mobile bridge-to-cardiac transplantation team model is effective in managing critically ill cardiac patients.
- Paracorporeal pneumatic biventricular devices can reliably support cardiac function for extended periods.
- This approach offers a viable strategy for improving outcomes in patients awaiting heart transplantation.