Hosszú távú eszközös keringéstámogatás gyermekkorban Magyarországon

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical circulatory support devices play a key role in stabilizing patients with end-stage heart failure and preparing them for heart transplantation. These devices significantly reduce waitlist mortality, especially in the pediatric population, where donor shortage and treatment challenges pose major difficulties. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to summarize domestic experiences with long-term mechanical circulatory support in pediatric patients and compare our outcomes with international data. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed data from 27 pediatric patients implanted with ventricular assist devices between 2008 and 2025. The patients were categorized into pulsatile and continuous-flow device groups. Anthropometric data, clinical status (INTERMACS profiles), organ perfusion, perioperative parameters, and long-term outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the 27 children was 9.14 years, with an average weight of 36.6 kg and an average height of 130 cm. The average duration of mechanical support was 217 days, significantly shorter in the pulsatile group compared to the continuous-flow group (141 vs. 312 days, p = 0.009). The pulsatile group consisted of younger and smaller patients (5.3 vs. 13.9 years, p