Biventricular Assist Device by the Berlin Heart as Bridge to Transplant in a 9-Year-Old Boy with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Multiorgan Failure

We report on a 9-year-old boy who presented with end-stage heart failure due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy 7 months after the initial diagnosis. On admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit he showed massive right ventricular dilation with minimal contractility and severe left ventricular dysfunction in transthoracic echocardiography, permanent monomorphic ventricular tachycardia of 130/min, and an elevated BNP-level (887 pg/ml). Despite maximal medical treatment with amiodarone, diuretics, inotropes (dobutamine, milrinone, epinephrine, norepinephrine), and a course of thyrotardin and levosimendan th…