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Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Implantation of Total Artificial Heart in Congenital Heart Disease
Published on: July 18, 2014
Acute heart failure due to giant left atrium: remote ECLS implantation for interhospital transfer and bridging to
Hazem El Beyrouti1, Martin Oberhoffer1, Angela Kornberger1
1Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Background:
Remote extracorporeal life support (ECLS) implantation and mobile ECLS are increasingly applied to enable the treatment of patients with refractory heart failure at specialized care centers. Giant left atrium (GLA) is a rare cause but may lead to acute and devastating heart failure.
Case Report:
Acute heart failure that gave rise to a prolonged period of out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient who underwent remote ECLS implantation was found to have resulted from a GLA of impressive dimensions. There having no reasonable option for immediate surgical therapy, the patient was successfully bridged to recovery with a view to subsequent heart transplantation.
Conclusions:
The threshold to rapid institution of ECLS should be low in patients with acute refractory heart failure, including those with uncommon pathologies. Remote ECLS implantation and interhospital transfer on mobile ECLS increase the chances of survival in cases requiring treatment by specialized care centers.
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