Klinik und Poliklinik fur Thorax-, Herz- und Gefässchirurgie, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, Münster, Germany.
The anticoagulative management of patients tested positive for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II) and requiring cardiac surgery has been difficult until now. A special challenge arises, when left ventricular assist devices have to be implanted for bridging to cardiac transplantation. We report on the anticoagulative management of such a patient, based on the consideration of HIT II-pathophysiology and using heparin for Novacor LVAD implantation and cardiac transplantation.