Left Ventricular Assist Device as a Bridge to Recovery: Single Center Experience of Successful Device Explantation.

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVAD) have been shown to enhance reverse remodeling and myocardial recovery in certain patients allowing for device removal. We sought to analyze the characteristics and describe outcomes of patients who underwent CF-LVAD explantation at a large academic center. We retrospectively identified all patients who underwent CF-LVAD explants due to recovery from 2006 to 2019.

Right Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain as a Predictor of Acute and Early Right Heart Failure Post Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Early right heart failure (RHF) occurs in up to 40% of patients following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The most recent report from the Mechanical Circulatory Support-Academic Research Consortium (MCS-ARC) working group subdivides early RHF into early acute RHF and early postimplant RHF. We sought to determine the effectiveness of right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain (LS) in predicting RHF according to the new MCS-ARC definition.

Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19 in Patients on Left Ventricular Assist Device Support.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to afflict millions of people worldwide. Patients with end-stage heart failure and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) may be at risk for severe COVID-19 given a high prevalence of complex comorbidities and functional impaired immunity. The objective of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with end-stage heart failure and durable LVADs.

Ventricular Assist Device Driveline Infection and Development of Intracranial Hemorrhage: A Case Series.

Durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are frequently complicated by driveline infection. The objective of this case series was to examine whether an association exists between driveline infection and intracranial hemorrhage. This retrospective case series included patients at a single tertiary care hospital on durable LVAD support who developed intracranial hemorrhage.