Left Ventricular Assist Devices or Inotropes for Decreasing Pulmonary Vascular Resistance in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension Listed for Heart Transplantation.

Background: Fixed pulmonary hypertension is common in patients with advanced heart failure and is a contraindication for heart transplantation. Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) and inotropes have been used to reduce pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and allow transplantation. However, little is known about the efficacy of this strategy.

Heart Transplantation Outcomes in Radiation-Induced Restrictive Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Some cancer therapies can cause advanced heart failure requiring heart transplantation. Although dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common phenotype, those who receive radiation may develop restrictive cardiomyopathy. The characteristics and transplantation outcomes patients with radiation-induced restrictive cardiomyopathy are not established.

Heart transplant outcomes in patients with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy.

Background: Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNCC) is a rare disease that starts in utero and may progress to heart failure (HF), sometimes requiring orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). There are limited data addressing characteristics of LVNCC patients that require OHT and their outcomes. We therefore sought to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of LVNCC patients treated with OHT.

Long-term mortality after cardiac allograft vasculopathy: implications of percutaneous intervention.

Objectives: This study compared the prognosis of patients with proximal cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) treated with percutaneous intervention (PCI) to the prognosis of those with severe CAV not amenable to PCI.

Background: CAV is a progressive form of arterial narrowing affecting patients with orthotopic heart transplants (OHTs). PCI has been used to treat patients with focal CAV, but its efficacy remains unclear.

Incidence, predictors, and impact on survival of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and recovery in advanced cancer patients.

Although left ventricular (LV) dysfunction occurs not uncommonly in the course of cancer therapy, little is known about its natural history and prognostic impact on patients. To investigate the incidence, predictors, and impact on survival of LV systolic dysfunction and recovery during cancer therapy, we conducted a retrospective cohort observational study over 1 year at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. We enrolled patients with a decrease in ejection fraction by echocardiography to <50% while undergoing cancer therapy from January 2009 to December 2009.

Increased need for right ventricular support in patients with chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy undergoing mechanical circulatory support: outcomes from the INTERMACS Registry (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy (CCMP) and determine their outcomes and survival in comparison to that of other patients with end-stage heart failure treated similarly.

Background: Patients with end-stage heart failure as a result of CCMP from anthracyclines are often precluded from heart transplantation because of a history of cancer. In such patients, durable MCS may offer an important chance for life prolongation.