The impact of infection among left ventricular assist device recipients on post-transplantation outcomes: A retrospective review.

Introduction: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) infections are common, and the consequences of LVAD infections on orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) outcomes are not well described.

Aims: The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics and evaluate risk factors for developing LVAD infections, and examine outcomes of LVAD-specific infections (VSI) after OHT.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated the records of 74 consecutive patients at two institutions who had undergone LVAD placement and subsequent OHT between January 2007 and December 2012.