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Late aortic dissection in a patient with a left ventricular assist device

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Abstract

The limited availability of donor hearts means that an increasing number of transplantation candidates are temporarily or permanently supported by mechanical circulatory assist devices. We report a patient undergoing implantation of a Novacor left ventricular assist device who suffered fatal aortic dissection on postoperative day 11 after satisfactory recovery from multiple organ failure. The dissection of the aorta initially presented as an embolic peripheral ischemia. Early complete echocardiography is thus warranted to rule out dissection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18, A-1090, Vienna, Austria

    Martin Dworschak, Karlheinz Wiesinger, Norbert Lorenzl & Andrea Lassnigg

  2. Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Georg Wieselthaler & Ernst Wolner

Authors
  1. Martin Dworschak
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  2. Karlheinz Wiesinger
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  3. Norbert Lorenzl
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  4. Georg Wieselthaler
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  5. Ernst Wolner
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  6. Andrea Lassnigg
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Dworschak, M., Wiesinger, K., Lorenzl, N. et al. Late aortic dissection in a patient with a left ventricular assist device. Jpn J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 49, 395–397 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02913159

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02913159

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