Systemic and local effects of heat dissipation in the thermally powered LVAS.
A thermally powered left ventricular assist system (LVAS) requires 20 W of heat dissipation either to the blood or to the surrounding tissues, such as the lung subcutaneous tissues. Postoperative systemic and local effects of heat dissipation were studied in 5 thermally powered LVASs and 2 heated blood pumps implanted in calves, and compared with 10 pneumatically powered left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Postoperative mean temperatures of the heat dissipation group were as follows: 1. rectal (RT), 39.1 x 0.4 degrees C (NS versus control); 2. Lung interface, 41.6 +/- 0.6 degrees C (P less than 0.01 versus RT); 3. tissue interface, 40.2 +/- 1.2 degrees C (P less than 0.01 versus RT); and 4. blood, 39.2 +/- 0.8 degrees C (NS versus RT). There was no significant postoperative change in heart rate, respiratory rate, or rectal temperature between the two groups. No difference was shown between the two groups in hematologic parameters, plasma free hemoglobin, liver and renal function, fibrinogen levels, or coagulation processes at the same postoperative time. Heat dissipation to the pump-blood interface promoted a thinner neointima when compared with the nonheated surface. Angioneogenesis was observed in the tissue capsule adjacent to the heat dissipating surface. These results indicated that the thermal LVAS induced no deleterious local or systemic effects on recipient animals.