Stomach pierced by apical cuff late after removal of Toyobo assist device.

A 38-year-old woman suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy underwent successful removal of a Toyobo left ventricular assist device after 11 months of support. Four months later, discharge of pus from the skin resulted from the contaminated residual apical cuff. The purulence stopped spontaneously 16 months later, but halitosis then developed. Two weeks later, fever and hematemesis occurred. Emergency surgery revealed gastric perforation by the apical cuff, which was removed under cardiopulmonary bypass.