Key result
Myocarditis linked to ~12-fold higher likelihood of Berlin Heart explant for myocardial recovery.
Why the study?
A subset of patients supported by the Berlin Heart EXCOR device experience cardiac recovery, motivating an evaluation of outcomes and factors associated with successful device explantation.
Cohort (n=72)
No
A subset of pediatric patients on Berlin Heart EXCOR support experience myocardial recovery, with myocarditis and an optimal body surface area (0.35-0.55 m2) being strongly associated with successful device explantation.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Myocarditis may inform recovery expectations on Berlin Heart EXCOR in children; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Objective: The Berlin Heart EXCOR is the only durable ventricular assist device available for infants and small children. A subset of patients supported by the Berlin Heart EXCOR device experience cardiac recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of Berlin Heart EXCOR support at our center and identify the factors associated with successful device explantation. Methods: This retrospective observational study included all consecutive patients who underwent Berlin Heart EXCOR implantation at the Royal Children's Hospital from 2009 to 2024. Results: .0003). Conclusions: . Patients with myocarditis are more likely to have a successful device removal. We believe that every patient must be evaluated for myocardial recovery and device removal before committing the patient to heart transplantation.
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Iaprintsev et al. (2025) conducted a cohort in advanced heart failure (n=72). Myocarditis vs. Non-myocarditis etiologies was evaluated on Successful device removal (myocardial recovery) (HR 11.6, 95% CI 0.99-135.2, p=0.05). In children supported with the Berlin Heart EXCOR, a diagnosis of myocarditis was associated with a higher likelihood of successful device removal due to myocardial recovery compared to other heart failure etiologies.
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