Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025
Implantation of Total Artificial Heart in Congenital Heart Disease
Published on: July 18, 2014
Concomitant Frozen Elephant Trunk and Total Artificial Heart as a Bridge to Heart Transplantation
Orazio Amabile1, Andrew Keogan2, Modesto Colón1
1Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona.
Insights
A combined total artificial heart and frozen elephant trunk procedure offers a viable bridge to transplantation for critically ill patients with cardiomyopathy and aortic dissection, improving survival outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Transplantation Medicine
Background:
- Cardiomyopathy and aortic dissection pose significant surgical challenges, often precluding immediate heart transplantation.
- Patients too ill for direct transplantation require advanced bridge strategies to manage complex cardiac and aortic conditions.
Observation:
- This case report details a novel approach combining a total artificial heart (TAH) with a frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure.
- A left subclavian to left carotid artery transposition was performed before the FET and TAH implantation.
Findings:
- The combined TAH and FET strategy served as an effective bridge to successful heart transplantation.
- The patient was discharged following the transplant, indicating the feasibility of this approach.
Implications:
- This combined surgical technique may enhance survival for select patients with severe cardiomyopathy and aortic dissection awaiting heart transplant.
- It highlights the potential of complex, staged interventions in managing critically ill patients with combined cardiovascular pathologies.
Abstract:
Patients with cardiomyopathy and aortic dissection presents significant challenges. Some patients are too ill to go directly to transplantation and require a bridge strategy to address the cardiomyopathy and dissection. This case combines a total artificial heart with a frozen elephant trunk procedure to increase the likelihood of survival. The patient underwent transposition of the left subclavian artery to the left carotid artery prior to frozen elephant trunk combined with implantation of a total artificial heart, bridge to transplantation. The patient remained inpatient, and underwent heart transplantation, with discharge from the hospital. Bridge to transplantation in patients with dissection is feasible in selected patients.
