Investigational trials of the Hemopump at the Texas Heart Institute: practical issues

Abstract

When we were first introduced to the Hemopump, we were skeptical about it. We feared that the device would cause hemolysis, as well as other problems. In fact, we told Dr. Wampler that we did not think it would work, but we did the initial animal experiments anyway. To paraphrase the famous Frenchman Claude Bernard, however, “You have to decide on the experiment and hang your ideas outside the laboratory, do the experiment, and see what nature says, not what you think.” We did the animal experiments, and they went very well, as has been reported in the literature (5). We saw no abnormality in plasma-free hemoglobin levels or hematologic profiles (Figs. 1, 2). The animals tolerated the intraventricular device very well.