Long-term outcome of EVAHEART I implantable ventricular assist device for the treatment of end stage heart failure: clinical 3-year follow-up results of 15 cases / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of the implantable ventricular assist system EVAHEART I in clinical use. Methods: Fifteen consecutive patients with end-stage heart failure who received left ventricular assist device therapy in Fuwai Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study, their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Cardiac function, liver and kidney function, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, 6-minute walk distance and quality of life were evaluated before implantation and at 1, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after device implantation. Drive cable infection, hemolysis, cerebrovascular events, mechanical failure, abnormally high-power consumption and abnormal pump flow were recorded during follow up. Results: All 15 patients were male, mean average age was (43.0±7.5) years, including 11 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, 2 cases of ischemic cardiomyopathy, and 2 cases of valvular heart disease. All patients were hemodynamically stable on more than one intravenous vasoactive drugs, and 3 patients were supported by preoperative intra aortic balloon pump (IABP). Compared with before device implantation, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) was significantly decreased ((80.93±6.69) mm vs. (63.73±6.31) mm, P<0.05), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), total bilirubin and creatinine were also significantly decreased ((3 544.85±1 723.77) ng/L vs. (770.80±406.39) ng/L; (21.28±10.51) μmol/L vs. (17.39±7.68) μmol/L; (95.82±34.88) μmol/L vs. (77.32±43.81) μmol/L; P<0.05) at 1 week after device implantation. All patients in this group were in NYHA class Ⅳ before implantation, and 9 patients could recover to NYHA class Ⅲ, 3 to class Ⅱ, and 3 to class Ⅰ at 1 month after operation. All patients recovered to class Ⅰ-Ⅱ at 6 months after operation. The 6-minute walk distance, total quality of life and visual analogue scale were significantly increased and improved at 1 month after implantation compared with those before operation (P<0.05). All patients were implanted with EVAHEART I at speeds between 1 700-1 950 rpm, flow rates between 3.2-4.5 L/min, power consumption of 3-9 W. The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 100%, 87%, and 80%, respectively. Three patients died of multiple organ failure at 412, 610, and 872 d after surgery, respectively. During long-term device carrying, 3 patients developed drive cable infection on 170, 220, and 475 d after surgery, respectively, and were cured by dressing change. One patient underwent heart transplantation at 155 d after surgery due to bacteremia. Three patients developed transient ischemic attack and 1 patient developed hemorrhagic stroke events, all cured without sequelae. Conclusion: EVAHEART I implantable left heart assist system can effectively treat critically ill patients with end-stage heart failure, can be carried for long-term life and significantly improve the survival rate, with clear clinical efficacy.

Surgical treatment of heart failure in China: towards the era of artificial heart / 中华外科杂志

The number of patients with heart failure in China is large, and the proportion of patients with end-stage heart failure continues to increase. The clinical effect of guideline-directed medications therapy for end-stage heart failure is poor. Heart transplantation is the most effective treatment for end-stage heart failure. But it is faced with many limitations such as the shortage of donors. In recent years, the research and development of artificial heart in China has made great progress. Three devices have been approved by the National Medical Products Administration for marketing, and another one is undergoing pre-marketing clinical trial. Since 2017, more than 200 cases of ventricular assist device implantation have been carried out in more than 34 hospitals in China. Among them, 70 patients in Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences had a 2-year survival rate of 90%. The first patient has survived more than 5 years with the device. More efforts should be put into the training of standardized technical team and quality control. Further research should be carried out in the aspects of pulsatile blood flow pump, fully implanted cable-free device, and improved biomaterial with better blood compatibility.

Dispositivos de asistencia ventricular en el shock cardiogénico posinfarto: importancia del soporte hemodinámico: reporte de caso / Ventricular assist devices in post-infarction cardiogenic shock: importance of hemodynamic support: case report / Dispositivos de assistência ventricular no choque cardiogênico pós-infarto: importância do suporte hemodinâmico: relato de caso

El shock cardiogénico posinfarto caracterizado por un estado de insuficiencia circulatoria sistémica requiere de un tratamiento precoz en vistas a restablecer la estabilidad hemodinámica y la función ventricular. Este consta de la reperfusión coronaria mediante revascularización miocárdica; en algunos casos es necesaria la utilización de dispositivos de asistencia ventricular. El ECMO venoarterial es un sistema de circulación extracorpórea que permite un soporte biventricular oxigenando la sangre y reintroduciéndola mediante un flujo continuo hacia la circulación arterial sistémica. El uso de dicho dispositivo en pacientes con shock cardiogénico ha mostrado una mejoría significativa de la sobrevida a 30 días en comparación con el uso del balón de contrapulsación intraaórtico. No obstante, sus potenciales complicaciones, como dificultad en el vaciamiento ventricular izquierdo, síndrome de Arlequín, sangrados e infecciones, hacen fundamental la formación y el trabajo en equipo del heart team. Un porcentaje no menor de estos pacientes presentarán una severa disfunción ventricular permanente, por lo que podrían ser candidatos a dispositivos de asistencia ventricular izquierda de larga duración tipo Heartmate III como puente al trasplante cardíaco, el cual ha mostrado resultados satisfactorios con una excelente sobrevida a mediano plazo.

Post-infarction cardiogenic shock characterized by a state of systemic circulatory failure requires early treatment in order to restore hemodynamic stability and ventricular function. This consists of coronary reperfusion through myocardial revascularization, requiring in some cases the use of ventricular assist devices. Veno-arterial ECMO is an extracorporeal circulation system that allows biventricular support by oxygenating the blood and reintroducing it through a continuous flow towards the systemic arterial circulation. The use of this device in patients with cardiogenic shock has shown a significant improvement in survival at 30 days compared to the use of intra-aortic balloon pump. However, its potential complications, such as difficulty in left ventricular emptying, Harlequin syndrome, bleeding and infections, make the training and teamwork of the heart team essential. A great percentage of these patients will present a severe permanent ventricular dysfunction, so they could be candidates for long-term mechanical circulatory support devices like Heartmate III as a bridge to transplant or myocardial recovery, or destination therapy, which has shown satisfactory results with excellent medium-term survival.

O choque cardiogênico pós-infarto caracterizado por um estado de insuficiência circulatória sistêmica requer tratamento precoce para restabelecer a estabilidade hemodinâmica e a função ventricular. Esta consiste na reperfusão coronariana por meio de revascularização miocárdica, necessitando, em alguns casos, do uso de dispositivos de assistência ventricular. A ECMO venoarterial é um sistema de circulação extracorpórea que permite o suporte biventricular oxigenando o sangue e reintroduzindo-o através de um fluxo contínuo para a circulação arterial sistêmica. O uso desse dispositivo em pacientes com choque cardiogênico mostrou melhora significativa na sobrevida em 30 dias em relação ao uso de contrapulsação com balão intra-aórtico. No entanto, suas potenciais complicações, como dificuldade de esvaziamento ventricular esquerdo, síndrome de Harlequin, sangramentos e infecções, tornam imprescindível o treinamento e o trabalho em equipe do time do coração. Não uma pequena porcentagem desses pacientes apresentará uma condição ventricular permanente grave, podendo ser candidatos a dispositivos de assistência ventricular esquerda de longa duração do tipo Heartmate III como ponte para o transplante cardíaco, que tem demonstrado resultados satisfatórios com excelente sobrevida em médio prazo.

Mechanical circulatory support combined with immunomodulation treatment for patients with fulminant myocarditis: a single-center real-world study / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the mechanical circulatory support (MCS) combined with immunomodulation and the prognosis of patients with fulminant myocarditis. Methods: This is a retrospective study. A total of 88 patients with fulminant myocarditis admitted to Dongguan Kanghua hospital from Aug. 2008 to Dec. 2020 were included. Medical histories, results of laboratory tests, treatment regimens and clinical outcomes of these patients during their hospitalization were collected from the medical record system. According to the treatment methods, the patients were divided into MCS+immunomodulation group (38 cases), MCS group (20 cases) and traditional treatment group (30 cases). Patients in the MCS+immunomodulation group received intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) or IABP combined with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and immunoglobulin or glucocorticoid. Patients in the MCS group only received mechanical circulatory support. Patients in the traditional treatment group received neither mechanical circulatory support nor immunomodulatory therapy, and only used vasoactive drugs and cardiotonic drugs. The in-hospital mortality and length of stay were compared among the three groups. Results: A total of 88 patients with fulminant myocarditis aged (35.0±10.8) years were included, and there were 46 males (52.3%). The mortality of MCS+immunomodulation group (7.9% (3/38) vs. 56.7% (17/30), P=0.001 2) and MCS group (30.0% (6/20) vs. 56.7% (17/30), P=0.002 8) were lower than that of traditional treatment group. Compared with the MCS group, the in-hospital mortality in the MCS+immunomodulation group was lower (P=0.005 4). The most common cause of death was multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). The constituent ratios of death in MCS+immunomodulation group, MCS group and traditional treatment group were 3/3, 4/6 and 12/17, respectively. The incidence of MODS in the MCS group (20% (4/20)) and the traditional treatment group (40% (12/30)) was significantly higher than that in the MCS+immunomodulation group (7.9% (3/38)) (both P<0.01). In discharged patients, the hospitalization time of MCS+immunomodulation group was shorter than that of traditional treatment group ((13.4±5.5)d vs. (18.5±7.4)d, P<0.05) and MCS group ((13.4±5.5)d vs. (16.9±8.5)d, P<0.05). Conclusion: MCS combined with immunomodulatory therapy is associated with lower in-hospital mortality and shorter hospital stay in patients with fulminant myocarditis.

Effect of a delay mode of a ventricular assist device on hemodynamics of the cardiovascular system / 生物医学工程学杂志

The implantation of biventricular assist device (BiVAD) is more challenging than that of left ventricular assist device for the interaction in the process of multiple input and output. Besides, ventricular assist device (VAD) often runs in constant speed (CS) mode in clinical use and thus BiVAD also faces the problems of low pulsation and imbalance of blood volume between systemic circulation and pulmonary circulation. In this paper, a delay assist mode for a VAD by shortening the support time of VAD was put forward. Then, the effect of the delay mode on cardiac output, pulsation and the function of the aortic valve was observed by numerical method and the rules of hemodynamics were revealed. The research showed that compared with VAD supported in CS mode, the VAD using delay mode in systolic and diastolic period proposed in this paper could meet the demand of cardiac output perfusion and restore the function of the arterial valves. The open ratio of aortic valve (AV) and pulmonary valve (PV) increased with the time set in delay mode, and the blood through the AV/PV helped to balance the left and the right cardiac volume. Besides, delay mode also improved the pulsation index of arterial blood flow, which is conducive to the recovery of the ventricular pulse function of patients.

Shock cardiogénico en infarto agudo de miocardio y soporte circulatorio puente al trasplante / Ischemic cardiogenic shock and short-term mechanical circulatory support as bridge to Transplantation

Resumen El shock cardiogénico (SC) presenta una elevada mortalidad y puede requerir de terapéuticas avanzadas como la asistencia circulatoria mecánica (ACM) y el trasplante cardíaco (TC). Se analizaron en forma retrospectiva, en un único centro, aquellos pacientes que presentaron un infarto agudo de miocardio (IAM), SC y requirieron ACM puente al TC. Entre enero 1997 y junio 2020, 524 pacientes recibieron un TC, 203 por cardiopatía isquémica, 103 en lista de emergencia. Se incluyeron once pacientes con los criterios mencionados (edad media 53 ± 11 años; hombres 73%). Se realizaron 5 angioplastias primarias y 2 cirugías de revascularización miocárdica de urgencia. Cuatro pacientes presentaban anatomía coronaria no pasible de revascularización. Todos recibieron tratamiento inotrópico y vasopresor y requirieron soporte con balón de contrapulsación intra aórtico (BCIA). Dos requirieron el implante de bomba centrífuga univentricular izquierda (BioMedicus®, Medtronic) y 2 de oxigenador de membrana extracorpóreo veno-arterial (ECMO-VA) periférico (Maquet®, Getinge Group). La mediana entre IAM y TC fue 15 días (rango 7-21) y la edad de los donantes 28 ± 11 años. Todos presentaron un IAM extenso (monto necrótico 35 ± 5%) con signos histopatológicos de necrosis transmural e injuria de reperfusión. La mediana de seguimiento fue 9 años (rango 1-15). Ninguno falleció en la internación ni durante el primer año post trasplante. La supervivencia a los 5 y 10 años fue 73% y 55%. El TC en situación de emergencia ha demostrado ser, en nuestro medio, la mejor opción en aquellos pacientes con IAM y SC refractario a la terapia convencional.

Abstract Cardiogenic shock (CS) has a high mortality rate and often requires advanced therapies such as mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and heart transplantation (HT). Those patients who presented an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with CS and required support through MCS as bridge to HT were retrospectively analyzed in a single Center. Between January 1997 and June 2020, 524 patients received HT, 203 for ischemic-cardiomyopathy, 103 were in emergency waiting list. Eleven patients met the inclusion criteria (mean age 53 ± 11 years old; men 73%). Five primary angioplasties and 2 emergency myocardial revasculariza tion surgeries were performed. Four patients had coronary anatomy not subject to revascularization. All received inotropic and vasopressor treatment and required intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). Subsequently, two required support with a left univentricular centrifugal pump (BioMedicus®, Medtronic) and two with peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (VA-ECMO) (Maquet®, Getinge Group). The median between AMI and HT was 15 days (range 7-21) and the mean age of the donors 28 ± 11 years. All had extensive AMI (necrotic amount 35 ± 5%) with histopathological signs of transmural necrosis and reperfusion injury. The median follow-up was 9 years (range 1-15). None died in hospitalization or during the first year after transplantation. Survival at 5 and 10 years was 73% and 55%. Emergency HT may be the best option for selected patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock refractory to conventional therapy.

Registro colombiano de falla cardiaca (RECOLFACA): resultados / Colombian registry of heart failure (RECOLFACA): results

Resumen Introducción: La falla cardiaca (FC) es un problema de salud pública mundial. En Latinoamérica, la incidencia es de 199/100.000 personas-año y la prevalencia de ≈1%. En Colombia, pocos estudios han descrito el comportamiento sociodemográfico y clínico de los pacientes con FC agudamente descompensada (FCAD) y FC crónica (FCC). Método: Se implementó un registro multicéntrico para identificar características que puedan ayudar en la planeación y desarrollo de estrategias de prevención secundaria y tratamiento de esta población. Resultados: Se incluyeron 2528 pacientes. 57.59% hombres, edad promedio 69 años. La principal comorbilidad fue hipertensión arterial (72.04%). Las principales causas de descompensación de la FC fueron la progresión de la enfermedad (35.00%) y el tratamiento insuficiente (19.09%). La etiología más frecuente fue isquémica (43.99%). Al momento del ingreso, 86.95% de pacientes recibían betabloqueador, 67.25% recibían diuréticos, 55.66% recibían ARM, 42.41% recibían ARA-II, 33.66% recibían IECA y 9.73% recibían ARNI. Conclusiones: Los pacientes con FC en Colombia son similares a los descritos por otros registros de FC en el mundo occidental, destacando el uso de terapias basadas en la evidencia. Se documentó una proporción menor de fibrilación auricular, con mayor frecuencia de disfunción sistólica moderada-grave y un aparente uso subóptimo de dispositivos implantables.

Abstract Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a public health problem worldwide. In Latin America, incidence is 199 / 100,000 person-year and prevalence is ≈1%. In Colombia, few studies have described the sociodemographic and clinical behavior of patients with acutely decompensated HF (ADHF) and chronic HF (CHF). Method: A multicenter registry was implemented to identify characteristics that can help in the planning and development of secondary prevention and treatment strategies for this population. Results: 2528 patients were included. 57.59% men, average age 69 years. The main comorbidity was arterial hypertension (72.04%). The main causes of HF decompensation were disease progression (35.00%) and insufficient treatment (19.09%). The most frequent etiology was ischemic (43.99%). At the time of admission, 86.95% of patients received beta-blocker, 67.25% received diuretics, 55.66% received MRA, 42.41% received ARB-II, 33.66% received ACEI, and 9.73% received ARNI. Conclusions: Patients with HF in Colombia are similar to those described by other HF registries in the western world, highlighting the use of evidence-based therapies. A lower proportion of atrial fibrillation was documented, with a higher frequency of moderate-severe systolic dysfunction and an apparent suboptimal use of implantable devices.

Use of CentriMag for refractory cardiogenic shock in a puerperal woman: case report

ABSTRACT CONTEXT: Heart failure in Brazil is a major public health problem and, even with advances in treatment, it still presents high morbidity and mortality. As a treatment option, mechanical circulatory assist devices (MCADs) have greatly increased in importance over the last decade. CASE REPORT: This report concerns a case of refractory cardiogenic shock due to acute myocarditis in a 35-year-old puerperal female patient who presented with retrosternal pain, fatigue and dyspnea. At the hospital, she was diagnosed with myocarditis. There was no improvement in perfusion even after receiving dobutamine, intra-aortic balloon passage (IAB) and venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Therefore, it was decided to implant a MCAD (CentriMag). During hospitalization, recovery from the bi-ventricular dysfunction was achieved. The CentriMag device was removed 10 days after it had been implanted, and the patient was discharged after another 8 days. The myocarditis was proven to be due to the Coxsackie virus. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to implant a MCAD should be individualized, as patient profiles do not always match the indications in the guidelines and protocols. In this study, clinical discussion of the case among the medical and multi-professional teams was essential in order to be able to successfully reverse the patient's severe clinical condition without sequelae, through using a CentriMag implant.

Study on modeling, simulation, and sensorless feedback control algorithm of the cavopulmonary assist device based on the subpulmonary ventricular exclusion / 生物医学工程学杂志

The subpulmonary ventricular exclusion (Fontan) could effectively improve the living quality for the children patients with a functional single ventricle in clinical. However, postoperative Fontan circulation failure can easily occur, causing obvious limitations while clinically implementing Fontan. The cavopulmonary assist devices (CPAD) is currently an effective means to solve such limitations. Therefore, in this paper the

Study on the synchronization of biventricular beats with the control mode of left ventricular assist device / 生物医学工程学杂志

Right ventricular (RV) failure has become a deadly complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, for which desynchrony in bi-ventricular pulse resulting from a LVAD is among the important factor. This paper investigated how different control modes affect the synchronization of pulse between LV (left ventricular) and RV by numerical method. The numerical results showed that the systolic duration between LV and RV did not significantly differ at baseline (LVAD off and cannula clamped) (48.52%

Clinical application value of transthoracic echocardiography during perioperative period in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To observe the changes of parameters derived from transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) before and after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, and to evaluate the clinical value of TTE in the perioperative period of LVAD implantation. Methods: This is a retrospective study. The data of patients who underwent LVAD implantation in Fuwai Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The TTE parameters, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and total bilirubin (TBil) before and 1 month after LVAD implantation were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 12 male patients undergoing LVAD implantation were included in this study. The mean age was (43.3±8.6) years. The left atrial volume index ((41.4±12.8)ml/m2 vs. (74.9±30.7)ml/m2, P<0.001), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index ((152.1±35.3)ml/m2 vs. (205.5±35.7)ml/m2, P<0.001), left ventricular end-systolic volume index ((112.5±27.9)ml/m2 vs. (155.1±29.1)ml/m2, P<0.001), right atrial diameter index ((23.7±3.5)mm/m2 vs. (27.2±5.8)mm/m2, P=0.023), right ventricular internal diameter at end-diastole ((24.6±2.7)mm vs. (30.0±4.8)mm, P<0.001), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion ((11.5±2.9)mm vs. (14.6±2.8)mm, P=0.007), systolic pulmonary arterial pressure ((29.2±4.8) mmHg vs. (55.1±19.3) mmHg, P<0.001, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) were significantly reduced at 1 month post LVAD implantation as compared to before LVAD implantation. The aortic sinus diameter ((33.8±4.7)mm vs. (31.6±5.1)mm, P=0.007), left ventricular ejection fraction ((26.3±3.0)% vs. (23.8±4.4)%, P=0.016), right ventricular fractional area change ((31.0±8.6)% vs. (23.8±5.5)%, P=0.004) at 1 month post LVAD implantation were significantly higher than before LVAD implantation. The degree of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation decreased, and the inspiratory collapse rate of inferior vena cava increased (all P<0.05). NT-proBNP ((1 418.4±812.6)ng/L vs. (5 097.5±3 940.4)ng/L, P=0.004) and TBil ((12.4±5.4)μmol/L vs. (27.5±14.0)μmol/L, P=0.001) decreased significantly at 1 month post LVAD implantation. Conclusions: TTE results show that LVAD could effectively relieve left ventricular load and improve right ventricular function. TTE can monitor the cardiac structural and functional changes during the perioperative period of LVAD implantation, and provide the imaging evidence for clinical evaluation of the therapeutic effect of LVAD.

Heterotopic heart transplantation as a left ventricular biological assistance: a new two-stage method proposal

Abstract Since Barnard's first heterotopic heart transplant in 1974, Copeland's method has been the greatest contribution to heterotopic transplants but has the drawback of donor's right ventricular atrophy. This new method proposes a modification in the anastomosis of the superior vena cava aiming to pre-serve donor's right ventricular function by decompressing the pulmonary territory and reducing the pulmonary arterial pressure, as a biological ventricular assist device. Finally, a second intervention is proposed, where a "twist" is performed to place the donor's heart in an orthotopic position after re-moval of the native heart. A pioneering research on this method received approval from the ethics committee of the Heart Institute of São Paulo. We believe that this method has the potential to im-prove quality of life in a selected group of patients.

Left ventricular assist device implantation and concomitant dor procedure: a single center experience

Abstract Objective: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation with concomitant Dor plasty is only reported anecdotally. We herein aimed to describe our experience with LVAD and concomitant Dor procedures and describe long-term outcomes of this special subset of heart failure patients. Methods: Between January/2010 and December/2018, 144 patients received LVAD therapy at our institution. Of those, five patients (80% male, 60.4±7.2 years) presented with an apical aneurysm and received concomitant Dor plasty. Apical aneurysms presented diameter between 75 and 98 mm, with one impending rupture. Results: Procedural success was achieved in all patients. No unplanned right ventricular assist device implantation occurred. Furthermore, no acute 30-day mortality was seen. In follow-up, one patient was lost due to intentional disconnection of the driveline. One patient underwent heart transplantation on postoperative day 630. The remaining three patients are still on device with sufficient flow; pump thromboses were successfully managed by lysis therapy in one patient. Conclusion: LVAD implantation with concomitant Dor procedure is feasible, safe, and occasionally performed in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Major advantages are prevention of thromboembolism and facilitation of LVAD placement by improving pump stability and warranting midventricular, coaxial alignment of the inflow cannula. In long-term follow-up, no adverse event associated with Dor plasty was observed.

Erector spinae plane block as a rescue analgesia technique in a patient with HeartMate 3 ventricular assist type device: case report / Bloqueo de plano del músculo erector de la espina como técnica analgésica de rescate en un paciente con asistencia ventricular tipo HeartMate 3: reporte de caso

Abstract Introduction: Heart failure represents a public health problem involving high morbidity and mortality. For advanced stages of the disease the use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) has been implemented as destination therapy. The perioperative management of patients with VADs may result in multiple challenges, with optimal pain management being one of those challenges. Objective: To describe the use of erector spinae plain (ESP) block as a rescue analgesia technique in a patient undergoing HeartMate 3 type VAD implantat. Methods: Case report and subject review. Results: The case discussed is a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe ventricular dysfunction, undergoing a HeartMate 3 type VAD implant as destination therapy, under general anesthesia and postoperative analgesia protocol with fentanyl and acetaminophen. During the postoperative period the patient developed acute pain of severe intensity (visual analogue scale [VAS]: 8-10/10), that led to the use of a regional rescue technique-ESP block-that showed satisfactory results with optimal analgesia control (VAS: 1-3/10). Conclusion: The ESP block was a safe and effective option as part of a postoperative analgesia strategy for a patient with a HeartMate 3 type VAD implant.

Resumen Introducción: la insuficiencia cardiaca representa un problema de salud pública con alta morbimortalidad. En estadios avanzados se ha implementado el uso de dispositivos de asistencia ventricular (DAV) como terapia destino. El manejo perioperatorio de pacientes con DAV puede generar múltiples retos, dentro de los cuales se destaca el manejo óptimo del dolor. Objetivo: describir el uso del bloqueo del plano del musculo erector de la espina (ESP) como técnica analgésica de rescate en un paciente llevado a implante de DAV tipo HeartMate 3. Métodos: reporte de caso y revisión de tema. Resultados: se presenta el caso de un paciente con cardiopatía isquémica y disfunción ventricular severa, que fue llevado a un implante de DAV tipo HeartMate 3 como terapia destino, bajo anestesia general y protocolo de analgesia postoperatoria con fentanil y acetaminofén. Durante el posoperatorio presentó dolor agudo de intensidad severa (Escala Visual Análoga: 8-10/10), por lo que se aplicó una técnica regional de rescate: bloqueo ESP, la cual mostró resultados satisfactorios con control analgésico óptimo (Escala Visual Análoga: 1-3/10). Conclusiones: el bloqueo ESP fue una opción segura y efectiva como parte de una estrategia analgésica postoperatoria para un paciente con implante de un DAV tipo HeartMate 3.