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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 All of the children had severe heart failure from complex birth defects of the heart or cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle that can occur as a result of an infection.
Three of the children were already on ECMO, and six were already on mechanical ventilation. All of the children were placed on the Berlin Heart Excor between April 2005 and July 2007.
One infant died of kidney failure soon after being placed on the device. The remaining children all survived to heart transplantation and were on the heart pump for an average of 35 days.
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Five patients had to have additional surgery, but there were no strokes, blood clots or bleeding complications in this group of children.
"These are fantastic outcomes, better than you see in many other centers," said Dr. Peter Wearden, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon and director of pediatric mechanical cardiopulmonary support at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.
But, he cautioned, "This is not a complete panacea." There are still risks, and he said that parents often focus on the potential benefits and don't always hear that there can be complications.
Still, both Gandhi and Wearden felt this device is definitely an option for children awaiting transplant. "A significant number of children in this study would not have lived to transplant without this," said Gandhi.
The makers of the Berlin Heart Excor provided limited funding for the study; the bulk of the study funding came from Saint Louis Children's Hospital, said Gandhi.
More information
To learn more about pediatric heart transplant, visit the American Heart Association.
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