One hundred and seventy-two patients at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, were placed on BioMedicus centrifugal ventricular support. One hundred thirty-nine patients were male and 33 were female with a mean age of 59.7 years. Reasons for support were postcardiotomy
cardiac failure (129 patients), cardiac allograft failure (17 patients), bridge to
transplantation (10 patients),
resuscitation (7 patients), postpercutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty emergent (2 patients), and other (7 patients). Support was by left
ventricular assist device in 108 patients, right
ventricular assist device in 20 patients, and biventricular assist device in 44 patients. Eighty-four patients (48.8%) were weaned from the
ventricular assist device, and 88 patients (51.2%) were not weaned. Thirty-four patients (20.0%) were discharged from the hospital. Complications included coagulopathy,
renal insufficiency/
failure, respiratory insufficiency/failure, neurological deficits,
sepsis, arrhythmias, and device-related complications. Overall causes of death were ventricular failure (55.1%), triage (13.0%), arrhythmias (9.4%), graft failure (5.9%), coagulopathy (4.3%),
sepsis syndrome (2.9%), device-related (0.7%), and other (0.7%). BioMedicus centrifugal ventricular support can be implemented rapidly and easily. Device-related complications are few (1.2%), and it is relatively inexpensive when compared with other ventricular assist systems. This series demonstrates that a substantial number of patients may benefit from temporary centrifugal ventricular support.