There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
The intraaortic balloon counterpulsation is performed today on the same principles
that were described in its first experimental use in 1962. Experimental studies have
shown significant increase of the mean aortic diastolic pressure, the diastolic pressure-time
index, endocardial viability ratio, cardiac output, ejection fraction, coronary cerebral
and renal blood flow, lactate utilization and myocardial oxygen supply and significant
decrease of the systolic aortic pressure, left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure,
left-ventricular work, tension time index, myocardial oxygen consumption and lactate
production. In similar studies, intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) decreases the size
of myocardial infarction. New IABP driving systems, small size sheaths and balloon
catheters for percutaneous insertion made the use of the IABP easier and safer. The
paraaortic counterpulsation device is suitable for chronic mechanical assistance.
It is more effective than the IABP and shows excellent biocompatibility in chronic
experiments. Its clinical application in 3 patients showed excellent biocompatibility
and promising hemodynamic effects. In conclusion, the salutary hemodynamic effects
of the IABP have been shown in several experimental studies. The technical improvements
and the development and use of new devices suggest that we still need to learn more
about the usefulness of the counterpulsation technique.