A new method of para-corporeal left ventriculo-aortic bypass.

An original closed chest method of let ventriculo-aortic bypass, using a centrifugal pump, an inflow cannula placed into the ventricle from a peripheral ventrial access in a retrograde fashion, and an outflow aortic cannula have been evaluated on a canine acute model of acute myocardial infarction. The system permits a 100% left ventricular decompression as peripheral perfusion is kept steady. The reduction in the ST segment elevation observed both in the infarcted area and the border zone suggests an improvement in the myocardial energetic balance. The system, because of its simplicity and its efficacy should easily be accepted by cardiologists for the treatment of cardiogenic shock as a complication of acute myocardial infarction.