Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Implanted Hemodynamic Monitoring In Management Of Significant Right Heart Failure Before And After Lvad Implantation: Creation And Maintenance Of Fontan Physiology In Severe Rv Dysfunction, Kevin Yei, Casey Kaisi, Rajeev Mohan, Ajay Srivastava, J Thomas Heywood

The VAD Journal

In the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) population, right ventricular (RV) failure represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. It is unclear whether hemodynamic monitoring with the implantable CardioMEMS system can improve outcomes within this population. This case report highlights two patients in our clinic who had CardioMEMS implanted after LVAD, enabling us to modify their medical regimens remotely and more frequently in the management of their RV failure.

Restoration Of Left Ventricular Function Following Lvad Implantation – Remission Or Recovery? A Case Series., Shiksha Joshi, Mariah Barlow, Maya Guglin

The VAD Journal

Background

A wide range of left ventricular (LV) recovery rates on left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support have been reported. In this case series, we summarize our experience with LVAD explantation for presumed LV recovery.

Case series

Out of 240 patients who received an LVAD implant in our program since its inception, we explanted/inactivated the pump for presumed LV recovery in only three patients. All three of these patients had relapse of cardiomyopathy within 6 months of explantation.

Conclusion

Our experience does not support the existence of LV recovery following LVAD implantation as a common phenomenon. Improvement in LV function …

De-Airing Method Of An Axial Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Influences Post-Operative Lactate Dehydrogenase Levels: A Possible Explanation For Some Episodes Of Pump Thrombosis, Daizo Tanaka, Saif Rizvi, Andrew Boyle, Md, John W..C. Entwistle

The VAD Journal

Background

Pump thrombosis (PT) is a relatively uncommon but serious complication of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). We believe that de-airing of the HeartMate II (HMII) with the pump turned on and a clamp across the outflow graft may lead to early thrombus formation due to heat generation on the bearings.

Methods

Patients who underwent HMII implantation from November 2012 to February 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were separated into two groups depending on the timing of removing the clamp from the outflow graft. Patients in Group 1 underwent de-airing by turning on the pump with the vascular clamp …

A Modified Access Technique Of Impella 5.0 Axillary Artery Insertion, Abdallah Alameddine, Brian J. Binnall, Eric Dibiasio-White, Khaled Alameddine

The VAD Journal

The conventional method for the axillary artery insertion of Impella 5.0 is a non-tunneling route of the side-graft. We present an alternative technique in order to facilitate device insertion and to ensure protection from potential wound contamination. The technique consists of exiting the graft separately and away from the main incision with an intact skin and subcutaneous fat between the two sites. By proper isolation of the main wound, the risk of infection can thus be largely mitigated. Furthermore, this technique allows a better landing entry angle of graft insertion; the resulting smoother curve trajectory leads to facile device insertion, …

Effects Of Beta Blockers And Ace Inhibitors After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation, Gaurang Vaidya, Emma Birks, Jessica Pillarella, Benjamin Salgado, Rajakrishnan Vijayakrishnan, Andrew Lenneman, Mark Slaughter, Dmitry Abramov

The VAD Journal

Purpose: While Beta blockers(BB) and Angiotensin system blockers(ACEinh/ARB) are important components in advanced heart failure therapy, their use after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation remains controversial. Concern has been raised about possible adverse effects of BB on right ventricular(RV) function while tolerance and efficacy/outcome data for ACEinh are lacking. This study aimed to characterize the use of medical therapy post-LVAD implantation and to evaluate its safety and efficacy. Methods: Demographic, clinical and echocardiographic variables of patients implanted with a continuous-flow LVAD between 2012 and 2015 at a single center were retrospectively reviewed. Mortality and heart failure(CHF) hospitalizations were followed …

Electrocardiographic Characteristics, Antiarrhythmic Utilization, And Outcomes In Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices, Scott Lundgren, Elizabeth Lyden, Douglas Stoller, Marshall Hyden, Adam Burdorf, Ronald Zolty, John Um, Brian Lowes

The VAD Journal

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are an increasingly used therapy for patients with advanced heart failure. Arrhythmias are common complications following LVAD implantation requiring admission, initiation, and escalation of medical therapy. Despite their frequent use in the treatment of arrhythmias, little has been reported regarding electrocardiographic changes, antiarrhythmic utilization, and outcomes post-LVAD.

Methods: A total of 309 patients who received a LVAD underwent retrospective chart review pre- and post-LVAD. Kaplan-Meier curves were calculated and compared using the log-rank test. Cox regression model was used for univariate analysis and those with a p

Results: There was a significant reduction in …

Safety And Efficacy Of Routine Bridging Anticoagulation For Subtherapeutic Anticoagulation In Outpatients With A Left Ventricular Assist Device, David C. Shisler, Gaurang N. Vaidya, Lori Muncy, Rajakrishnan Vijayakrishnan, Mark S. Slaughter, Emma J. Birks, Dmitry Abramov

The VAD Journal

Background

Anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists is vital to prevent pump thrombosis in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). However, the safety and efficacy of bridging anticoagulation for the routine management of subtherapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) in stable outpatients remains poorly characterized.

Methods

In this retrospective study, a total of 60 LVAD outpatients had 110 episodes of subtherapeutic INR noted on routine testing. 34 of these episodes were managed with parenteral bridging anticoagulation and 76 were managed with only an adjusted dose of warfarin. The rates of bleeding and thromboembolic adverse events following these episodes of subtherapeutic INR …

Exploring The “Weekend Effect” On The Care Of Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices, Gbolahan O. Ogunbayo, Le Dung Ha, Naoki Misumida, Ayman Elbadawi, Qamar Ahmad, Remi Okwechime, Deborah Akanya, Andrew Kolodziej, Claude S. Elayi, Maya E. Guglin

The VAD Journal

Many studies have described differences in in-hospital outcomes and length of stay between patients treated for major cardiac conditions on weekdays versus weekends.¹ Our study aimed to explore the “weekend effect” on in-hospital care among patients with left ventricular assist devices.

Using data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, with a weighted estimate of more than 35 million admissions per year.² We identified patients 18 years or older with an ICD code signifying presence of a LVAD. Characteristics, comorbidities and clinical outcomes were compared between patients admitted on a weekend versus patients admitted on a weekday. The …

Reversal Of Fixed Pulmonary Hypertension With Transcatheter Valve Replacement For Aortic Insufficiency On Ventricular Assist Device Support, Faraz S. Ahmad, Mark J. Ricciardi, Laura J. Davidson, Allen S. Anderson, Kambiz Ghafourian, Ike Okwuosa, Esther Vorovich, Jane E. Wilcox, Daniel D. Holloway, Duc T. Pham, Jonathan D. Rich

The VAD Journal

We present a 43-year-old woman with a nonischemic cardiomyopathy implanted with a ventricular assist device (VAD) as bridge to transplant due to severe, “fixed” pulmonary hypertension (PH). Within three months of VAD implant, her “fixed” PH had resolved entirely. Nearly two years later, still supported with a VAD because of severe HLA allosensitization, she developed dyspnea and “moderate” aortic insufficiency (AI) by standard criteria. Invasive hemodynamics revealed recurrence of severe PH in the setting of elevated left-sided filling pressures. We concluded the AI was indeed severe and the cause of her symptoms and recurrent PH. Despite her minimally calcified aortic …

What Did We Learn About Vads In 2017?, Maya Guglin

The VAD Journal

No abstract provided.

Management Of Aortic Insufficiency In Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Device ̶ A Retrospective Analysis, Hartmuth B. Bittner

The VAD Journal

Background: Aortic insufficiency is increasingly recognized as a complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support and may lead to clinical decompensation requiring correction. This article describes experiences in managing patients presenting with concomitant aortic insufficiency and with de novo aortic insufficiency following left ventricular assist device implantations.

Methods: All patients undergoing LVAD implantation between 2012 and 2014 were included in this retrospective analysis if aortic valve insufficiency was present on implantation or newly developed (de novo) after implantation. Moderate to severe aortic valve insufficiency was corrected at implantation.

Results: The data of 39 patients were included. At the time …

Approach To Unresponsive Patient With Lvad, Maya Guglin

The VAD Journal

No abstract provided.

Unresponsive Patient With Lvad: A Case Series, Ameer Z. Musa, Julia Akhtarekhavari

The VAD Journal

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for patients with advanced heart failure (HF) is becoming more commonplace as technology has progressed and reliability of these systems has improved. We report our experience with three patients with cardiopulmonary arrest in the hospital and propose a protocol for the prompt assessment and treatment of an unresponsive patient with a LVAD in place. We presented three cases of unresponsive patients on LVAD support with low flow or no flow through the LVAD. Although all three of them were alive after resuscitation, none survived to discharge. In all three cases, there were no flaws in LVAD …