Surgical transaxillary placement of the Impella 5.0 ventricular assist device

The aim of this study is to evaluate the open transaxillary placement of the Impella 5.0 with a modified surgical technique.

From January to July 2018, nine patients (eight males; mean age 60 years) underwent surgical transaxillary Impella 5.0 (Abiomed Inc., Danvers, MA) implantation. Patient and periprocedural data were recorded in a prospectively maintained institutional database. The primary endpoint was technical success. The secondary endpoints were: neurological complications (peripheral or central), bleeding, and wound infection, duration of Impella support, and device failure requiring device replacement.

Assisted technical success was 100%. The right axillary artery was used in 8/9 cases. Three patients (all on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) suffered from access site bleeding which required surgical reintervention. One patient suffered from peripheral neurological dysfunction which recovered in 1 month and one patient had a local hematoma which was managed conservatively. The median length of treatment was 16 days (range 8-35). Five patients had myocardial recovery and the Impella could be explanted; the remaining were transitioned to a durable left ventricular assist device with an uneventful postoperative course. Hospital mortality was 33%.

Open Impella 5.0 device implantation through the axillary artery is safe and effective; technical success was 100% and low rates of major complications are reported.