Abstract
It has been pointed out that myocardial infarction and severe combined valvular disease with intractable heart failure might be treated by instituting some kind of artificial circulatory system. Preparation or manipulation of the failing heart often results in ventricular fibrillation or standstill until bypass system has Established. Of all the artificial circulatory systems that have been evaluated for this purpose, the left heart bypass is to be preferred. This holds specially true, since Dennis et al. constructed a cannula with which this bypass could be accomplished without thoracotomy, but its clinical use has diminished for the risk of a ‘fausse-route’.
Looking for the possibility of the suitable support system especially during and after open heart surgery for biventricular failure, we modified Dennis's cannula, making side openings which enable to drainage from both atria.
The technique of placement of the transseptal cannula is rather easy and even in the reoperative case, smallest preparation of the right atrial wall allows easy insertion of this new cannula which enables to decompress whole heart directly and completely.
