IMPROVING CLINICAL OUTCOME WITH CENTRIFUGAL MECHANICAL ASSIST FOR POSTCARDIOTOMY VENTRICULAR FAILURE

Between October 1986 and May 1994, 65 patients undergoing cardiac surg ery required centrifugal mechanical assist devices to separate from ca rdiopulmonary bypass, This experience was arbitrarily divided into ear ly (n = 33) and recent (n = 32) groups for the purpose of comparing tr ends in morbidity and mortality. The incidence of mechanical assist ap plication decreased from 2.19% in the early group to 0.96% in the rece nt group (p < 0.0001), Ability to wean patients from centrifugal assis t increased from 33% in the early group to 53% in the more recent grou p, and hospital survival increased from 15 to 28%. The median chest tu be drainage during the first 24 h decreased from 3,245 mi to 1,535 mi, and the incidence of renal failure decreased from 39.4% and 18.8% in the more recent group. Clinically relevant improvement in patient outc ome following application of centrifugal mechanical assist for postcar diotomy ventricular failure is being observed.