[Centrifugal pump as right ventricular assist pump in the treatment of right ventricular failure following resection of left atrial myxoma].

A 31-year-old woman had a left atrial myxoma associated with severe pulmonary hypertension and respiratory failure because of incarceration of the tumor to the mitral valve. Emergency surgery was performed, but the patient could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass because of right ventricular failure. A Biomedicus centrifugal pump was used as a right ventricular assist pump. The result was a successful termination of cardiopulmonary bypass. With the support of an intra-aortic balloon pump, the right ventricular assist pump was removed 38 hours after the operation, and the intra-aortic balloon pump was terminated 2 days later. The centrifugal pump is very useful at the majority of centers where the pneumatically activated bi-valved ventricular assist device is unavailable. The Biomedicus centrifugal pump can be easily applied for treatment of perioperative right ventricular failure and is very useful for short-term use without systemic anticoagulants.