• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Impella 5.0 support before, during, and after surgical ventriculoplasty following acute myocardial infarction in the COVID-19 era: a case report
  • Contributor: Briani, Martina; Torracca, Lucia; Crescenzi, Giuseppe; Barbone, Alessandro
  • Published: Oxford University Press (OUP), 2021
  • Published in: European Heart Journal - Case Reports, 5 (2021) 3
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytab037
  • ISSN: 2514-2119
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: Abstract Background Left ventricular (LV) aneurysms complicate anterior myocardial infarctions (MIs) in 8–15% of cases. In case of associated LV dysfunction, rapidly evolving heart failure may follow, and urgent surgery becomes life-saving. Case summary Following an acute anterior MI treated by percutaneous coronary intervention, which resulted in apical hypokinesis, depressed LV function, and moderate mitral regurgitation, a 70-year-old male patient kept in contact with our cardiology department through phone calls. Over 6 weeks, the patient's conditions worsened. For fear of contracting COVID-19, he refused to attend to the Emergency Room. Conditions did not improve despite medical therapy adjustments, and he was admitted to hospital following a syncope. Computed tomography scan revealed pneumonia, and he was placed in a ‘grey’ ward while waiting for nose-swab results for COVID-19. A rapid escalation of treatment was necessary as conditions did not improve with low-dose inotropes, and he required invasive ventilation. An Impella 5.0 was implanted as support prior to surgery, was maintained during the procedure and as a means of weaning off extracorporeal circulation. Surgery was successful and Impella 5.0 was removed on postoperative Day 5. Discussion To date, Impella use in cardiothoracic surgery has been described in case of ventricular septal rupture or as a bridge to permanent LV assist device. In our case, Impella 5.0 was implanted, used as a bridge to surgery, and as postoperative support in a patient with evolving cardiogenic shock due to LV aneurysm and depressed LV ejection fraction following acute MI, in the difficult setting of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Access State: Open Access