The Open Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Journal

2009, 2 : 6-9
Published online 2009 January 28. DOI: 10.2174/1876533500902010006
Publisher ID: TOCTSJ-2-6

Endocardial Injury During Ventricular Assistance with an Intracardiac Microaxial Pump

Angel L. Fernández , Amparo Martínez , Julian Alvarez , José B. García-Bengochea , Jerónimo Forteza and José R. González-Juanatey
Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital, Department of Surgery, University of Santiago de Compostela, Ave. Choupana, s/n. 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

ABSTRACT

We report the case of a patient unweanable from cardiopulmonary bypass who underwent transaortic implantation of an Impella Recover LD blood pump. The ventricular assistance afforded an adequate flow but the patient died 48 hours after due to severe ischemia of the lower limbs. Chronic atherosclerotic occlusion of the abdominal aorta could be observed during the necropsy study as well as a subendocardial hematoma of the left ventricular wall. Some aspects concerning the pathologic finding observed in the heart are discussed.