Ventricular assist device in univentricular heart physiology.

The use of mechanical cardiac assistance is well established as a bridge to orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) or to recovery for patients with congestive heart failure, however, the experience in single ventricle (SV) physiology is still limited. We report two cases of mechanical assistance in patients with SV physiology: a 2-year old male with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who underwent Norwood Stage I and II followed by HF and a 4-year old female with a univentricular heart who developed a severe right ventricular dysfunction 2 years after a cavopulmonary shunt. Mechanical support utilizing ventricular assist devices (VADs) is considered a valid tool to bridge patients with congestive heart failure to either OHT or to recovery. Increasing experience and improved outcomes utilizing this technology in children with biventricular hearts have led to considering employing these devices in failing SV treatment. We present 2 cases of terminally ill children with SV who were assisted with a VAD.