Limited usefulness of endoscopic evaluation in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a frequent cause of re-admission in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) and is associated with multiple endoscopic procedures and high resource utilization. Our aim was to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic yield of endoscopy and to develop a more cost-effective approach for the management of GIB in CF-LVAD recipients.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 428 patients implanted with a CF-LVAD between 2009 and 2016 at the Columbia University Medical Center and identified those hospitalized for GIB.

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices and usefulness of a standardized strategy to reduce drive-line infections.

Background: Drive-line infection (DLI) is a common complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support, leading to significant morbidity that jeopardizes the benefits of these devices. It has been reported that DLI incidence is related to drive-line dressing strategies. The aim of this study was to determine whether implementation of a standardized drive-line care kit would reduce the incidence of DLIs.