A 2-year-old girl underwent the Fontan operation for aortic valve stenosis, mitral valve stenosis, a hypo-plastic left ventricle, and a non-compacted right ventricle. The patient's cardiac function reduced gradually thereafter, mainly due to systemic ventricular dysfunction. A Berlin Heart EXCOR (BHE) ventricular assist device with a 10-mL pump was implanted at 4 years of age. After 465 days, BHE support without major complications, the patient underwent heart transplantation. A safe and long-term BHE support was achieved with proper case selection and repeated examinations.
Keywords: Berlin Heart EXCOR; Fontan failure; Ventricular-assisted device.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery.