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(Circulation. 1969;39:I-99.)
© 1969 American Heart Association, Inc.

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Chronic Left Ventricular Bypass with an Implantable Ventricular-Aortic Assist Pump

WILLIAM F. BERNHARD M.D.¹; C. G. LAFARGE M.D.¹; H. JOCKIN M.D.¹; S. KITRILAKIS M.S.¹; T. ROBINSON PH.D.¹

¹ From the Departments of Cardiovascular Surgery, Cardiology, and Pathology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; the Departments of Surgery, Pediatrics, and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and the Thermo Electron Engineering Corp., Waltham, Massachusetts.

This investigation represents definite progress in the field of assisted circulation. Experiments involved the maintenance of partial left ventricular bypass in 25 calves by means of a new, implantable, left ventricular assist pump. Flow rates of 800 to 3,000 ml/ min were employed continuously for periods of 6 to 120 days. Flocked Dacron fibrils were applied to all pump surfaces to serve as a matrix for adherence of a fibrin-cellular (pseudoendothelial) layer. Serial hematological studies carried out during assisted circulation did not disclose any evidence of severe blood damage.