Open AccessTotal Artificial Heart as Bridge to Transplantation for Severe Culture-Negative Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis Due to Gemella haemolysans
Author(s) -
Meena S. Ramchandani,
Robert M. Rakita,
Rosario V. Freeman,
Wayne C. Levy,
Peter von Homeyer,
Nahush A. Mokadam
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
asaio journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.961
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1538-943X
pISSN - 1058-2916
DOI - 10.1097/mat.0000000000000080
Subject(s) - medicine , endocarditis , extracorporeal membrane oxygenation , artificial heart , heart transplantation , transplantation , surgery , bridge (graph theory) , cardiac surgery , cardiology
We report a rare case of a patient with prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) requiring implantation of a total artificial heart (TAH) as a bridge to heart transplantation. Gemella haemolysans, an unusual cause of PVE, was identified as the organism responsible only by 16s rRNA polymerase chain reaction analysis of surgical tissue samples. We also describe one of the first uses of combined TAH and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy in the setting of severe respiratory and cardiac failure. Implantation of a TAH may be considered in situations where more traditional reconstructive methods are not feasible.