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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Use of a Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device/Left Atrium to Femoral Artery Bypass System for Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: August 16, 2021
The PulseCath iVAC 2L left ventricular assist device: conversion to a percutaneous transfemoral approach
Nicolas M Van Mieghem1, Joost Daemen, Mattie J Lenzen
1Department of Cardiology, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Aims:
This technical report describes the essentials and practical implantation technique of the completely percutaneous PulseCath iVAC 2L left ventricular assist device.
Methods And Results:
Percutaneously inserted mechanical left ventricular assist devices are used for circulatory support during cardiogenic shock or high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions. The PulseCath concept is a novel pulsatile design that consists of an extracorporeal membrane pump connected to a large-bore catheter which is inserted across the aortic valve retrogradely into the left ventricle. A genuine intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) console drives the pulsatile pump.
Conclusions:
The percutaneous PulseCath iVAC 2L is driven by a genuine IABP console and provides more left ventricular support.
