SKELETAL-MUSCLE VENTRICLES - ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE FOR HEART-FAILURE

Background: Autologous muscle has the potential of generating power fo r cardiac assistance, Problems with muscle fatigue have been overcome by the development of successful protocols of electrical conditioning and by allowing a recovery interval after the initial harvest, Methods : Our laboratory has pursued research with latissimus dorsi muscle pou ches, which we term skeletal muscle ventricles (SMVs), By allowing sev eral weeks for a ''vascular delay'' interval and then electrically con ditioning the muscle, these pouches can be connected to the circulatio n and stimulated to assist the heart, Results: These pouches have been developed and tested in the canine model in numerous configurations, achieving survival beyond 3 years, Conclusions: Although still experim ental, SMVs may have the potential of becoming a viable alternative fo r the future treatment of patients with end-stage heart failure and wi th infants with certain congenital anomalies.