Outcomes and hospital admissions during long-term support with a HeartMate II.

Objectives: Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices like the HeartMate II (HMII) improves survival in severe heart failure but little is known about the incidence and causes of hospitalizations during long-term support which was evaluated in this study.

Design: Observational follow-up study comprising all patients who received a HMII at our institution either as bridge-to-transplantation (BTT) or destination therapy (DT). All patients were followed from HMII implantation to transplantation, device explantation, death, or May 2015.

Effect of increasing pump speed during exercise on peak oxygen uptake in heart failure patients supported with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device. A double-blind randomized study.

Aims: Continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) implantation is associated with improved quality of life, but the effect on exercise capacity is less well documented. It is uncertain whether a fixed CF-LVAD pump speed, which allows for sufficient circulatory support at rest, remains adequate during exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fixed versus incremental pump speed on peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) during a maximal exercise test.

Right ventricular failure after implantation of a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device: early haemodynamic predictors.

Objectives: Right ventricular failure (RVF) is a significant complication after implantation of a left ventricular assist device. We aimed to identify haemodynamic changes in the early postoperative phase that predicted subsequent development of RVF in a cohort of HeartMate II (HMII) implanted patients.

Methods: This was a single-centre observational study of consecutive placement of HMII devices at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.

Long-term outcome in patients treated with combined heart and liver transplantation for familial amyloidotic cardiomyopathy.

Background: The amyloidogenic transthyretin (ATTR) mutation Leu111Met causes a primarily cardiac amyloidosis: Familial amyloidotic cardiomyopathy (FAC). Combined heart-liver transplantation (CHLTx) is the preferred treatment for patients with heart failure due to familial amyloidosis, but information on outcome of patients with Leu111Met mutation is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome of CHLTx in patients with FAC.

Driveline infections in patients supported with a HeartMate II: incidence, aetiology and outcome.

Objectives: To investigate the incidence and outcome of driveline infections in patients supported with a continuous flow left ventricular assist device (HeartMate II (HMII)) and to study the microbiological aetiology.

Design: Retrospective analysis of 31 patients who received an implantation of a HMII. Follow-up was from implantation to either device explantation, death or closure of the study.

Impact of fixed pulmonary hypertension on post-heart transplant outcomes in bridge-to-transplant patients.

Background: Fixed pulmonary hypertension (FPH) is considered a contraindication to cardiac transplantation. Ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy through prolonged left ventricular unloading may reverse FPH. Our aim was to assess post-transplant outcomes and survival in patients with and without FPH undergoing VAD implantation as bridge to transplant.

European results with a continuous-flow ventricular assist device for advanced heart-failure patients.

Objective: The HeartMate II (HM II) LVAD is a small, quiet, continuous-flow, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for circulatory support in advanced heart-failure patients, with over 2000 implants worldwide. This article reports on the European experience with this device.

Methods: The HM II was implanted in 571 patients at 64 European institutions.