MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT FOR SEVERE HEART-FAILURE AFTER OPERATION

To evaluate the clinical results of circulatory support for severe hea rt failure after operation, we examined 62 patients (39 males and 23 f emales) who underwent circulatory support for postoperative heart fail ure from 1984 to 1996. Their ages ranged from 22 to 78 (mean 52) years . In 62 patients, 35 had valvular, 25 had ischemic, and 2 had congenit al heart disease. Postoperation, 29 patients underwent venoarterial by pass (VAB), 20 had biventricular bypass (BVB), and 8 had left ventricu lar bypass (LVB). The remaining 5 patients received a pulsatile left v entricular assist device (LVAD). The weaning and discharge rates of th e patients by type of support were 51.7% and 31.0% with VAB, 75.0% and 55.0% with BVB, 87.5% and 37.5% with LVB, and 60.0% and 40.0% with LV AD, respectively. The complete results of this series (64.5% weaning r ate and 40.3% discharge rate) were acceptable.