Pediatric Ventricular Assist Devices: The Future (as of 2011)

In the last decade, there have been enormous advances in the field of pediatric-specific mechanical circulatory support. In the past, small children requiring bridge to transplant or recovery were limited to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Now, in various stages of development, there are several devices that offer the promise of the same quality of support enjoyed by older teenagers and adolescents, with the potential to substantially reduce transplant waiting list mortality and optimize transplant outcomes. Advances have been driven by both industry and, for the first time, by funding from the US National Institutes of Health.