Navigating the Heart. The Evolution of the AngioVac System in a Single-center Experience

Abstract

We investigated the efficacy, safety, and versatility of the AngioVac (AngioDynamics, Latham, NY) system for the treatment of intravascular and intracardiac masses of different origins. We prospectively enrolled all consecutive patients treated with the AngioVac system between July-2016 and November-2021 at our institution. Three configurations of the device were adopted in 44 patients: a venous-venous circuit in 21 cases (47.7%), a venous-arterial ECMO-like configuration in 20 (45.5%), and a venous-arterial-arterial circuit with 2 centrifugal pumps for left-sided cardiac masses in 3 (6.8%). Successful removal of the mass was achieved in 41 patients (93.2%), while in the other cases conversion to full sternotomy was necessary. Intraoperative complications occurred in 3 cases (6.8%), including 1 death, 1 pulmonary embolization, and 1 cardiac perforation. The AngioVac system is a valid, safe, and versatile option for the treatment of intravascular masses also in patients with prohibitive surgical risk.