Successful biventricular circulatory support as a bridge to cardiac transplantation during prolonged ventricular fibrillation and asystole.

The indications for biventricular versus left ventricular mechanical circulatory support as a bridge to cardiac transplantation are not well established. In this study, 27 potential heart transplant candidates who were in imminent risk of dying before donor heart procurement were implanted with Thoratec prosthetic ventricles (21 biventricular and six left ventricular) at three medical centers. A total of 21 patients (16 biventricular and five left ventricular) underwent successful cardiac transplantation after 1-65 days of circulatory support, and 19 were discharged from the hospital. Seven of the patients (all biventricular; diagnoses: four cardiomyopathy, two acute myocardial infarction, one end-stage coronary artery disease plus acute myocardial infarction) had prolonged arrhythmias that normally would have been lethal (six cases of ventricular fibrillation from 2 to 22 days, one asystole for 3 hours), but complete support of the systemic and pulmonary circulations was maintained in all seven patients with biventricular devices. Mean systemic blood flow during this period (4.6 +/- 0.6 l/min) was unchanged compared with that during sinus rhythm. Six of these patients survived to receive heart transplants. The use of right plus left prosthetic ventricles does not prevent the occurrence of arrhythmias but removes the threat and simplifies patient management. We conclude that biventricular support is indicated in bridge-to-transplant patients with potentially lethal arrhythmias.