The authors published the first large multicenter retrospective case series of pediatric and adolescent patients who received the percutaneous Impella (Abiomed Inc, Danvers, MA) device for temporary circulatory support. In the study, 39 implants were performed in 38 pediatric patients with ages and size of patients varying from 4-21 years of age and 15-134 kgs, respectively. The authors reported the indications for implantation: cardiogenic shock (72%), procedural data, including implant site, duration of support (1-1224hrs), and indications for explant. Outcomes reported were survivability (85% at 7 days and 68% at 30 days) and other major adverse events (bleeding, stroke, injection). Overall, the paper is the first to report a more comprehensive experience of using a percutaneous Impella device for pediatrics (<21yo) and showed it to be an effective tool for providing temporary mechanical circulatory support for this population.
All editors: Britton Keeshan, MD, MPH
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