Effect of cardiac arrest with aortic cross-clamping during left ventricular assist device implantation.

Objectives: Some patients who undergo continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) implantation require concomitant procedures that can be performed with or without cardiac arrest under aortic cross-clamping (AXC). Procedures normally performed with cardiac arrest are sometimes avoided or performed without cardiac arrest because it may be detrimental to right heart function. However, the effects of cardiac arrest on patients with advanced heart failure necessitating CF-LVAD support have not been thoroughly studied.