We report on two patients who experienced life-threatening thromboembolic complications during prolonged weaning from Levitronix CentriMag right ventricular assist device support. Right ventricular assist device flow in both patients was reduced below 2 L/min for a period of 72 or 36 h to closely monitor patients' hemodynamics and echocardiography because the extent of right ventricular recovery was difficult to assess. Thrombus formation occurred despite adjusting the heparin dosage to achieve partial prothrombin time values between 60 and 70 s. Periods of reduced flow during Levitronix CentriMag support must be kept short, and an additional bolus dose of heparin should be considered.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1213/ane.0b013e3181ac152f | DOI Listing |
Clin Cardiol
January 2025
Department of Research, Future Forwards Research Institute, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are utilized as a therapeutic option for patients with end-stage heart failure. While LVAD implantation can enhance survival rates and quality of life, the procedure has its risks, and postoperative complications are common. This review aims to investigate whether there is an association between living in a rural area and the incidence of postoperative complications or hospital readmissions following LVAD implantation, compared to urban LVAD recipients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth
December 2024
Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.
Cardiogenic shock (CS) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a life-threatening syndrome characterized by systemic hypoperfusion that can quickly progress to multiorgan failure and death. Various devices and configurations of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) exist to support patients, each with unique pathophysiological characteristics. The Intra-aortic balloon pump can improve coronary perfusion, decrease afterload, and indirectly augment cardiac output.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Patients undergoing evaluation for a heart transplant are frequently on inotropic medications or mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, which places them at a higher risk for anesthesia-related complications. These patients often require colonoscopies for bleeding or screening purposes, but there are limited data on the safety and outcomes of colonoscopy in this setting.
Methods: This is a retrospective, two-center study between the years 2015 and 2021 of patients with heart failure who subsequently underwent a heart transplant.
Clin Transplant
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is the most common cause of early mortality following heart transplantation. Although PGD can affect both ventricles, isolated right ventricular dysfunction (RV-PGD) is observed in nearly half of PGD patients. RV-PGD requires specific medical management to support the preload, afterload, and function of the failing RV; however, the use of mechanical circulatory support of the RV (RV-MCS) might be required when optimal medical therapy is insufficient in preventing forward failure and retrograde venous congestion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
November 2024
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, USA.
Prompt emergence from general anesthesia is crucial after neurosurgical procedures, such as craniotomies, to facilitate timely neurological evaluation for identification of intraoperative complications. Delayed emergence can be caused by residual anesthetics, metabolic imbalances, and intracranial pathology, for which an eye examination can provide early diagnostic clues. The sunset sign (or setting sun sign), characterized by a downward deviation of the eyes, can be an early indicator of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) or midbrain compression, as is commonly observed in states of hydrocephalus or periaqueductal or tectal plate dysfunction.
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