Bridge to Heart Transplantation Using the Impella Device in a Pediatric Patient.

Mechanical circulatory support options for pediatric patients with acute heart failure are limited. These patients can be challenging to manage depending on their size and the type of extracorporeal support required including the need for a left ventricular assist device. We report the case of a 12-year-old child with severely depressed left ventricular function who did not respond to medical therapy. We successfully stabilized the patient and bridged him to a successful heart transplant by implanting an Impella 5.5 device via a 10-mm Hemashield graft to the right innominate artery.