FLUOROSCOPY AND SELECTIVE ANGIOGRAPHY OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR ASSIST SYSTEM INFLOW CANNULA AS A METHOD OF DETECTING CANNULA ENTRAPMENT

Left ventricular assist systems have become an important tool as a bri dge to cardiac transplantation. Malfunction of these devices often lea ds to clinical and hemodynamic deterioration, One potential complicati on is the obstruction of the inflow cannula secondary to remodeling of the left ventricular cavity, We report two cases where fluoroscopy an d selective angiography were used to visualize the orientation and obs truction of the inflow cannula when echocardiographic findings were in determinant. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.