The Axillary Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump as a Bridge to Recovery Allows Early Ambulation in Long-Term Use: Case Series and Literature Review.

We evaluated the feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of a strategy for transaxillary artery intra-aortic balloon pump placement for extended mechanical circulatory support of patients with postcardiotomy shock as a bridge to recovery. Patients requiring prolonged intra-aortic balloon pump support for postcardiotomy heart failure were identified. Intra-aortic balloon pump was tunneled through a 6-mm Dacron graft anastomosed to the right axillary artery. The intra-aortic balloon pump catheter is advanced under fluoroscopic guidance into the descending thoracic aorta. Three patients were transferred from outside facilities, requiring prolonged intra-aortic balloon pump support for postcardiotomy heart failure. Patients included a 54-year-old woman with occluded grafts and left ventricular thrombus after coronary artery bypass grafting, ejection fraction (EF) of 23.4% on dobutamine infusion, intra-aortic balloon pump support for 39 days, max daily ambulated distance of 1250 feet, and discharged home on day 51 on milrinone infusion; a 63-year-old man with kinked left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending artery graft (surgically repaired), multiple failed extubations requiring tracheostomy, EF of 15% on epinephrine and milrinone, intra-aortic balloon pump support for 43 days, max daily ambulated distance of 400 feet, and discharged home on day 54; and a 66-year-old man after redo coronary artery bypass grafting + carotid endarterectomy, with failure to wean off cardiopulmonary bypass requiring veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator, EF of 20% on epinephrine and norepinephrine, intra-aortic balloon pump support for 41 days, max daily ambulated distance of 2800 feet, and discharged home on day 91. There were no infection, thromboembolic, cerebrovascular, bleeding, or intra-aortic balloon pump malpositioning/migration complications. We found that transaxillary artery intra-aortic balloon pump is well tolerated by patients and allows early ambulation and aggressive physical therapy in patients needing extended support. Duration of intra-aortic balloon pump support was up to 43 days with no complications.

Duke Scholars

Author Chetan B. Patel Medicine, Cardiology

Author Jacob Niall Schroder Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Author Carmelo Alessio Milano Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery