{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T04:11:08Z","timestamp":1788667868383,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":7,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788307200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Int J Artif Organs"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Advanced heart failure (advHF) in pediatric patients often requires prolonged mechanical circulatory support (MCS) as a bridge-to-transplant or bridge-to-recovery. Due to donor scarcity and anatomical complexity, pediatric patients frequently face long MCS durations and high complication risks. The Berlin Heart EXCOR is an approved ventricular assist device (VAD) with versatile configurations adaptable to specific patient needs.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study analyzed demographic, clinical, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic data from the Heart Transplant Unit at ASST-Papa Giovanni XXIII (Bergamo, Italy). The research focused on advHF management using prolonged MCS as a bridge-to-transplant, detailing Berlin Heart EXCOR configurations, settings, support duration, and complications.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Three pediatric patients with distinct etiologies received prolonged MCS via Berlin Heart EXCOR. The first, with genetic dilated cardiomyopathy, required a left ventricular EXCOR. The second, with early-onset cardiomyopathy and biventricular failure, received biventricular support. The third, with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), was supported by a single EXCOR. Despite varying ages and cardiac anatomies, all three patients were successfully bridged to heart transplantation without irreversible extracardiac organ damage.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This case series demonstrates the effectiveness of long-lasting MCS in providing sustained hemodynamic stability for pediatric patients. The Berlin Heart EXCOR proved to be a reliable long-term support option in both univentricular and biventricular settings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/03913988261479957","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T04:24:00Z","timestamp":1788409440000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Berlin Heart EXCOR in pediatric heart failure: Bridging long-lasting and complex conditions to transplant"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9411-1809","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raffaele","family":"Abete","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Transplant Surgery and Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0564-7578","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ottavio","family":"Zucchetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Transplant Surgery and Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Attilio","family":"Iacovoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Transplant Surgery and Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Vittori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Transplant Surgery and Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberta","family":"Sebastiani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Transplant Surgery and Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca Julia","family":"Papesso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Paediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Seddio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Paediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amedeo","family":"Terzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Transplant Surgery and Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hetzer R Kaufmann F Delmo Walter EM. Paediatric mechanical circulatory support with Berlin Heart EXCOR: development and outcome of a 23-year experience. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2016; 50(2): 203\u2013210. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ejcts\/ezw011","DOI":"10.1093\/ejcts\/ezw011"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gupta D Bansal N Jaeger BC et al. Prolonged hospital length of stay after pediatric heart transplantation: a machine learning and logistic regression predictive model from the Pediatric Heart Transplant Society. J Heart Lung Transplant 2022; 41(9): 1248\u20131257. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.healun.2022.05.016","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healun.2022.05.016"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kanaya T Ueno T Taira M et al. Impact of long-term support with Berlin Heart EXCOR\u00ae in pediatric patients with severe heart failure. Pediatr Cardiol 2019; 40(6): 1126\u20131133. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00246-019-02108-0","DOI":"10.1007\/s00246-019-02108-0"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sandica E Knyphausen EZ Blanz U et al. Safety of long-term mechanical support with Berlin heart EXCOR in pediatric patients. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2012; 3(1): 72\u201376. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2150135111417459","DOI":"10.1177\/2150135111417459"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bhatia I Ho KC Rocha BA et al. Pediatric ventricular assist device therapy for advanced heart failure-Hong Kong experience. J Artif Organs 2020; 23(2): 133\u2013139. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10047-019-01140-4","DOI":"10.1007\/s10047-019-01140-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hasegawa M Tominaga Y Watanabe T et al. Successful Bridge to transplantation with long-term support using Berlin heart EXCOR in a child with failing Fontan. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022; 70(8): 750\u2013753. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11748-022-01845-z","DOI":"10.1007\/s11748-022-01845-z"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Weinstein S Bello R Pizarro C et al. The use of the Berlin Heart EXCOR in patients with functional single ventricle. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2014; 147(2): 697\u2013705. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jtcvs.2013.10.030","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtcvs.2013.10.030"}],"container-title":["The International Journal of Artificial Organs"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/03913988261479957","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/03913988261479957","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/03913988261479957","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,6]],"date-time":"2026-09-06T03:38:54Z","timestamp":1788665934000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/03913988261479957"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"references-count":7,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/03913988261479957"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/03913988261479957","relation":{},"ISSN":["0391-3988","1724-6040"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0391-3988","type":"print"},{"value":"1724-6040","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]]},"article-number":"03913988261479957"}}