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Covering implantable left ventricular assist device (DuraHeart®) with free flap

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  • Artificial Heart (Clinical)
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Abstract

Severe donor shortage in Japan makes the waiting period for heart transplantation extremely long and the left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are often used for bridge-to-transplant. We present three cases of infected and exposed DuraHeart® LVAD system treated with free flaps. Four free flaps (two latissimus flaps and two anterolateral thigh flaps) were transferred using the right internal thoracic vessels or left deep inferior epigastric vessels as recipients. The potential significance of the continuous low pressure blood flow generated by the LVAD system on microvascular patency has not been previously reported. All flaps survived and worked efficiently to control the infection and cover the devices. Heart transplantation was conducted in the two of three patients. Free flap transfer is an efficient treatment for the patients with infected and exposed implantable LVAD.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Professor WA Morrison, Director of the O’Brien Institute, Melbourne, Australia, for his advice in preparing this manuscript.

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None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-757, Asahimachi-Dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan

    Ken Matsuda

  2. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Akimitsu Nishibayashi, Takashi Fujiwara, Megumi Fukai & Ko Hosokawa

  3. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Koichi Toda, Daisuke Yoshioka & Yoshiki Sawa

Authors
  1. Ken Matsuda
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  2. Akimitsu Nishibayashi
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  3. Koichi Toda
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  4. Takashi Fujiwara
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  5. Megumi Fukai
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  6. Daisuke Yoshioka
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  7. Yoshiki Sawa
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  8. Ko Hosokawa
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Correspondence to Ken Matsuda.

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Matsuda, K., Nishibayashi, A., Toda, K. et al. Covering implantable left ventricular assist device (DuraHeart®) with free flap. J Artif Organs 18, 114–119 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10047-014-0812-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10047-014-0812-y

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