Outcomes of patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist device undergoing emergency endovascular treatment for atraumatic bleeding.

Introduction: Severe spontaneous bleeding is a significant complication in patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices; there is little evidence on endovascular treatment to support its use.

Materials And Methods: We observed seven patients (five men, two women, age 43-67 years) with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices on antiaggregant/coagulant therapy, admitted to our hospital for uncorrectable symptomatic anemia; CT-angiography and diagnostic angiography confirmed the presence of atraumatic arterious bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract (six patients), from the intercostal artery and from the bronchial tree (one patient).

Results: All patients where successfully treated via an endovascular approach with superselective embolization of the involved arterial branches with coils and particles.