Outcomes of modular cable exchange in HeartMate 3 patients versus conventional driveline repair in HeartMate II patients.

Background: Driveline (DL) damages are a common difficulty among ventricular assist devices (VAD). Repairing the electrical fibers inside the DL on a running pump is hazardous and requires technical expertise, which is not easily available on site. A new feature of the HeartMate3 (Abbott, U.

Is there a sex gap in outcomes of comparable patients supported with left ventricular assist devices?

Objectives: Historically, females were described as suffering from worse outcomes after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. However, females' preoperative conditions are unique, making direct comparisons with males challenging. This study aimed to select through propensity score (PS) matching two preoperatively comparable populations of females and males and test if any real sex-related difference exists regarding survival and adverse events after LVAD implantation.

Telemonitoring and Care Program for Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients During COVID-19 Outbreak: A European Experience.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) radically modified the organization of healthcare systems with shutdown of routine activities and outpatient clinics. Herein, we report our institutional experience with a Telemonitoring and Care Program (TC-Program) to monitor and support left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients during COVID-19 outbreak. This single-arm cohort study analyzed 156 patients who entered the TC-Program at our institution between April and August 2020.

Lateral Thoracotomy for Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: A Meta-Analysis of Literature.

The use of lateral thoracotomy (LT) for implanting left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) is worldwide increasing, although the available evidence for its positive effects compared with conventional sternotomy (CS) is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis analyzes the outcomes of LT compared with CS in patients undergoing implantation of a centrifugal continuous-flow LVAD. Four databases and 1,053 publications were screened until December 2019.

Pharmacy Technicians' Perception About Symptoms and Concerns of Older Patients Visiting Pharmacies: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Older patients are still not sufficiently integrated into multidisciplinary care concepts including geriatric and palliative care. They do, however, regularly visit pharmacies to fill prescriptions or to buy self-medication. Thus, they have frequent contact with pharmacy technicians (PTs), who are widely involved in counselling in Germany.

Flying after left ventricular assist device implantation.

Literature on the air travel activities of patients supported by permanent mechanical assist devices is rare. To the best of our knowledge, no air travel guidelines or fitness prerequisites exist on whether and when ventricular assist device (VAD) patients are allowed to travel by plane after device implantation. In this study, we evaluated the topic of air travel after VAD implantation.