A new bridging technique to heart transplantation in patients with ventricular septal perforation and mitral regurgitation after acute myocardial infarction — Feasibility of monoventricularization of bilateral ventricles with LVAD

Since the prognosis of ventricular septal perforation (VSP) and mitral regurgitation (MR) after acute myocardial infarction (MI) is remarkably poor, heart transplantation would be necessary for many of those patients. A new bridging technique was examined in canine models. The bilateral ventricles communicating throught a VSP were monoventricularized with mitral valve closure, and pulmonary circulation which had low vascular resistance was maintained. The systemic circulation was maintained by a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placed between the left atrium and the aorta.