PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Elena Ribera

Publications and source records attributed to Elena Ribera.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Bridge to transplantation with the MicroMed DeBakey ventricular assist device axial pump: a single centre report.

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular assist devices (VADs) are an accepted therapy to bridge patients with end-stage heart failure to heart transplantation. The DeBakey VAD, a continuous axial flow pump weighing 93 g, has been introduced into clinical practice as a bridge to transplant. METHODS: Starting from April 2000,17 patients (12 males, five females, mean age 44.3 +/- 12.8 years; 11 dilated idiopathic cardiomyopathy, five ischaemic cardiomyopathy, one pulsatile device failure) with end-stage heart failure were implanted with a DeBakey VAD as a bridge to transplantation at our institution. Before implant, all patients suffered from severe heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IV) despite optimal medical therapy and were put on the waiting list for heart transplantation. Mean cardiac index was 1.59 +/- 0.51 l/min/m2. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were successfully transplanted after 99 +/- 117 days of assistance (range 11-443 days). Two patients died during assistance of multiorgan failure, one patient is still on VAD. No patient needed additional right ventricular mechanical support. Left ventricular/left VAD thrombosis occurred in one patient who was successfully treated conservatively. No clinical elevation of plasma free haemoglobin was detected. Neither device, driveline, abdominal pocket infection nor device failure occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience with the continuous axial flow DeBakey VAD, a high success rate was obtained associated with a low risk of complications. All the patients tolerated continuous blood flow for extended periods that makes this device a valuable alternative to pulsatile VADs as a bridge to transplantation.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Surgical treatment of acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The role of surgical revascularization in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has changed considerably over the last 30 years along with improvement in intraoperative management and techniques of myocardial protection. The aim of this work was to analyze the long-term results of our experience of emergency myocardial surgical revascularization for AMI. METHODS: Between January 1986 and October 2003, 237 patients (85.3% males; mean age 59.6 +/- 9.6 years) underwent emergency coronary artery bypass graft for severe AMI. At admission 82 patients (34.6%) were in cardiogenic shock, while 124 patients (52.3%) presented major preoperative complications (acute pulmonary edema, mechanical ventilation, intra-aortic counterpulsation, cardiac arrest). Preoperative intra-aortic counterpulsation was performed in 125 patients (52.7%). The mean time interval between symptom onset and surgery was 9.4 hours. Three-vessel disease was detected in 107 patients (45%), with main left stenosis in 12.9%. RESULTS: There were overall 50 hospital deaths (21.1%). Amongst patients with major preoperative complications, mortality was 36.2% (45 cases out of 124); mortality for cardiogenic shock was 40.2% (33 patients out of 82). Survival of the first 140 patients undergoing operation and then discharged was 97.8% at 1 year and 79.6% at 5 years. The survival rate of the first 60 patients in cardiogenic shock operated on and then discharged is 98.8% at 1 year and 81.2% at 5 years. The ejection fraction in 102 echocardiographically controlled patients was 37.2 +/- 8.5% preoperatively and 44.0 +/- 10.1% at pre-discharge (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical revascularization for AMI, especially if complicated by cardiogenic shock, is a valid therapeutic option that carries a high periprocedural risk but that is balanced by a satisfactory late survival. A more precise patient's risk assessment at admission, improvement of surgical and myocardial protection techniques, extensive use of intra-aortic counterpulsation, and new circulatory support when needed, can improve outcomes and late survival.

Coronary Circulation↗
PubMed2003

Successful experience in bridging patients to heart transplantation with the MicroMed DeBakey ventricular assist device.

BACKGROUND: Pulsatile left ventricular assist devices are used with increasing frequency to bridge patients with end-stage heart failure to heart transplantation (HTx). Implantation of pulsatile devices is a cumbersome surgical procedure that is associated with major complications, such as bleeding, thromboembolism, and infection. Recently, a continuous axial flow left ventricular assist device (DeBakey ventricular assist device) has been introduced with the goal of reducing the incidence of major complications. METHODS: We reviewed our experience with 11 patients who received a DeBakey ventricular assist device axial flow pump for bridge to HTx from April 2000 through November 2001. RESULTS: Two patients (18.2%) died of multiple-organ failure while on left ventricular assist device support. Bleeding requiring thoracotomy occurred in 2 patients (18.2%). One patient had a minor neurologic event, and one patient developed left ventricular assist device thrombosis, which was successfully treated without pump exchange. Renal failure developed in 1 patient and hepatic dysfunction in 2 patients. There were no instances of right heart failure. No device, pocket, or drive-line infections occurred. Nine patients (9 of 11, 81.8%) had HTx within 51 +/- 49 days (range, 11 to 141 days) after left ventricular assist device implant. One patient died 29 days after HTx because of acute rejection. CONCLUSIONS: The continuous axial flow DeBakey ventricular assist device had reliable features, including a high rate of bridge to HTx. This device had low complication and system failure rates. We consider the DeBakey ventricular assist device a favorable alternative to pulsatile heart assist devices as a bridge to HTx.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Aortic complications after bicuspid aortic valve replacement: long-term results.

BACKGROUND: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a risk factor for aortic dissection and aneurysm. We studied patients with BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) to evaluate long-term changes in the ascending aorta after aortic valve replacement (AVR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients were allocated into two groups according to the presence of BAV (group A, 50 patients) or TAV (group B, 50 patients). Mean age was 51 +/- 12 years in group A, and 50 +/- years 12 in group B. No patients had hypertension or Marfan's syndrome. Until July 2001, mean follow-up was 234 +/- 47 months in group A and 241 +/- 43 months in group B. RESULTS: Five patients (10%, CL 5.7 to 13.9) in group A suffered late acute aortic dissection. Acute aortic dissection (5 vs 0, p = 0.0001) and sudden death (7 vs 0, p = 0.0001) occurred more frequently in patients with BAV. All survivors were assessed by echocardiogram. The mean diameter of the ascending aorta was 48.4 mm in group A and 36.8 mm in group B. Three patients in group A were operated on because of ascending aorta aneurysm more than 6 cm in diameter. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of our experience, we recommend a policy of prophylactic replacement of even a seemingly normal and definitely a mildly enlarged ascending aorta in cases of BAV at the moment of AVR, and consideration of a similar approach for any other cardiac surgical procedure in patients with BAV.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Left ventricular assist devices as bridge to heart transplantation: The Niguarda Experience.

BACKGROUND: Congestive heart failure is the leading cause of death in Western countries. Heart transplantation currently is the only accepted therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure, but the supply of donor hearts is inadequate, and different mechanical circulatory support systems have been investigated as bridges to heart transplant. METHODS: Since April 1992, 53 patients (47 men, 6 women, aged 12 to 61 years) received left ventricle mechanical circulatory support as bridge to heart transplant. The two principal devices used were: the Novacor LVAS in 31 patients and the DeBakey VAD in 11 patients. RESULTS: All patients survived the operation. Mean duration of LVAD support was 2.8 +/- 5.6 months. Thirty-seven patients (71.1%) underwent heart transplantation. Twelve major bleeding episodes occurred in nine patients (16.9%). Globally, major and minor neurologic events occurred in 13 patients (24.5%). Ten patients (19.9%) assisted with the Novacor Wearable LVAS device were discharged at home while waiting for heart transplant (HTx). The mean follow-up of the 34 discharged transplanted patients was 45.3 +/- 37 months. Actuarial survival of transplanted patients while on LVAD was 91.0 +/- 4.9% and 83.4 +/- 8.5% at 1 and 5 years, respectively. No differences in post-transplant long-term survival and rejection and allograft vasculopathy occurred between patients transplanted with or without LVAD implanted. CONCLUSIONS: LVAD therapy proved to be effective in bridging patients with end-stage heart failure to HTx. While on LVAD support, patients assisted with implantable wearable devices could be discharged at home, ameliorating their quality of life. The excellent survival rate after HTx is concomitant with a low incidence of rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Adolescent↗