Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Highlights Of The 2023 Brano Heart Failure Forum, Bela Merkely, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

Since 2007, the Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum (BHFF) has been held annually to provide a venue for experts to present and discuss “Innovations and New Treatment Strategies in Heart Failure.” Clinicians and researchers gather yearly in a different Eastern European city to discuss the latest in heart failure diagnostics and therapeutics. The 2023 BHHF forum was held on the 13^th thru 15^th of September 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. It was attended by over 100 faculty from 16 countries. In addition, participation through online streaming was available. Throughout the forum, 16 sessions focused on challenges and solutions …

Partial Support In Chronic Heart Failure, Bart Meyns, Walter Droogne, Steven Jacobs

The VAD Journal

Partial left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support offers several advantages in treating chronic heart failure. It also raises concerns about insufficient support, worsening symptoms, and impediment of myocardial recovery. The clinical trial results for the CircuLite device (Medtronic) have shown that close monitoring can ensure improved outcomes for partial support. Another study on the ovine model demonstrated that partial and full support have similar effects regarding reverse remodeling. Thus, patients receiving partial LVAD support need regular follow-up care. Clinical assessment of symptoms and organ function must be used alongside objective judgment of patients’ needs to ensure support levels are appropriately …

Highlights Of The 2022 Brano Heart Failure Forum: Part Two, Ugolino Livi, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

Since 2007, the Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum (BHFF) has been held annually to provide a venue for experts to present and discuss “Innovations and New Treatment Strategies in Heart Failure.” Clinicians and researchers gather yearly in a different Eastern European city to discuss the latest in heart failure diagnostics and therapeutics. The 2022 BHFF forum was held on the 6^th thru 8^th of September 2022 in Trieste, Italy. It was attended by over 94 faculty from 14 countries. In addition, participation through online streaming was available. Throughout the forum, 17 sessions focused on challenges and solutions …

Highlights Of The 2022 Brano Heart Failure Forum: Part One, Ugo Livi, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

Since 2007, the Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum (BHFF) has been held annually to provide a venue for experts to present and discuss “Innovations and New Treatment Strategies in Heart Failure.” Clinicians and researchers gather yearly in a different Eastern European city to discuss the latest in heart failure diagnostics and therapeutics. The 2022 BHHF forum was held on the 6^th thru 8^th of September 2022 in Trieste, Italy. It was attended by over 94 faculty from 14 countries. In addition, participation through online streaming was available. Throughout the forum, 17 sessions focused on challenges and solutions …

Highlights Of The 2021 Brano Heart Failure Forum, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

Since 2007, the Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum has been held annually to provide a venue for experts to present and discuss “Innovations and New Treatment Strategies in Heart Failure.” Clinicians and researchers gather yearly in a different Eastern European city to discuss the latest in heart failure diagnostics and therapeutics. The forum was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then resumed in September of 2021 in Graz, Austria. It was attended by over 75 faculty from 13 countries. Due to the ongoing pandemic, 13 presentations were given virtually. Throughout the forum, 17 separate sessions focused …

Pulsatility Is A Predictive Marker Of Improved Cardiac Function In Patients With Liquid Matrix-Treated Left Ventricular Assist Devices, Philemon Mikail, Rinku Skaria, Marvin Slepian, Janny Garcia, Richard Smith, Zain Khalpey

The VAD Journal

Objective: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are utilized as a bridge to transplant or as destination therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure. Although cardiac offloading from these devices rarely leads to complete remodeling and functional recovery, the use of mesenchymal cells to modulate heart failure has been explored in recent years due to its intrinsic regenerative properties. Current methods of evaluating cardiac function have too much variability, difficulty of access, or require too frequent follow up to create universal weaning protocols. We hypothesized that the administration of amniotic allograft liquid matrix (LM) containing amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (aMSCs) in …

Guideline-Directed Heart Failure Therapy In Patients After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation, Bailey M. Colvin, James C. Coons, Craig J. Beavers

The VAD Journal

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are used as an advanced therapy option for patients with stage D heart failure. These devices provide mechanical unloading of the heart as either a bridge to transplant or recovery, or as destination therapy. In patients with LVADs, there are emerging data on the use of heart failure guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) to improve outcomes. This review describes the current evidence available for the use of neurohormonal blocking agents in patients with LVADs.

Methods: Articles were found using PubMed and web searches for heart failure therapies/neurohormonal blockade and LVADs. Studies were included if they …

Summary Of 2019 Brano Heart Failure Forum Presentations, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

The Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum (BHFF) was established in 2008. Each year, experts in the field of heart failure gather to learn, discuss and debate the recent advances and theories related to diagnostics and therapeutics. The 12th Annual BHFF was held September 18-21, 2019, in Belgrade, Serbia, and was attended by over 350 participants from 15 countries. Over four days, seventeen separate sessions focused on challenges and solutions related to mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation. For the first time, a summary of selected presentations was organized and presented herein.