Disturbance in bodily experience following ventricular assist device implantation.

Background: Disturbance in bodily experience (BE) is a potential adverse consequence of ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation. The concept BE encompasses all cognitive and affective processes related to the subjective experience of one's own body.

Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter study was performed, involving 365 VAD patients (85% male; time postimplant: 3-36 months). Patients completed a BE questionnaire (BE-S, 5-point Likert scale), and the disturbance in BE was analyzed based on sex, time since implantation (in the first, second, or third years postimplant), and patient acuity (elective vs emergent implantation). Subsidiary, patients' gratitude was surveyed.

Results: Disturbance in BE was not particularly pronounced (mean = 2.69, standard deviation = 1.17). Eighty-five percent of patients expressed high levels of gratitude. Disturbance in BE decreased (p = 0.04), while gratitude increased (p = 0.02) with time since implantation. Female patients showed more disturbance in BE (p = 0.01) and less gratitude (p = 0.01) compared to male patients. Among patients who underwent emergency implantation, the decrease in disturbance occurred predominantly in the third year, exceeding the level observed in elective implanted patients (p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Disturbance in BE following VAD implantation does generally not reach excessive levels and tends to decrease over time. Our data indicate more disturbance and less gratitude in female patients. In emergently implanted patients, disturbance in BE is prolonged. Screening for disturbance in BE is recommended during follow-up, especially for these at-risk groups, to ensure early and focused psychological support.