[Veno-arterial bypass and intraaortic balloon pumping for profound right heart failure--a case report of perioperative right heart infarction].

A combination of veno-arterial bypass (VAB) and intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) was applied to a 54-year-old male patient whose right heart function was severely damaged immediately following aortic valve replacement. A diagnosis of perioperative myocardial infarction was made with findings of severe hypokinesis of the right heart, new Q wave with ST elevation, and increased cardiac escaping enzyme. The VAB was maintained wih a pump flow rate of 2.0-2.5 L/min. The system was exchanged to the second one 42 hours after the surgery. According to repeated on/off testing, the VAB was successfully weaned on the 5th postoperative day followed by weaning IABP on the 6th postoperative day. This case report shows a recovery from isolated right heart failure by an immediate switching from a cardiopulmonary bypass to VAB and IABP.