Concomitant mitral repair and continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices: Is it warranted?

Gastrointestinal bleeding with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices.

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) insertion is a life-saving procedure that is being increasingly used in patients with advanced heart failure. However, patients with CF-LVADs are at an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). Bleeding can occur anywhere in the GI tract with lesions being more prevalent in the upper GI tract than in the lower GI tract. The patho...

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices induce left ventricular reverse remodeling.

1. Stoica SC, Cafferty F, Pauriah M, et al. The cumulative effect of acute rejection on development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy. J Heart Lung Transplant 2006;25:420-5. 2. Gilad S, Meiri E, Yogev Y, et al. Serum microRNAs are promising novel biomarkers. PLoS One 2008;3:e3148. 3. Bartel DP. MicroRNAs: genomics, biogenesis, mechanism, and function. Cell 2004;116:281-97. 4. Shan J, Feng L, Lu...

Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Effects of continuous-flow versus pulsatile-flow left ventricular assist devices on myocardial unloading and remodeling.

BACKGROUND Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are increasingly used for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). We analyzed the effects of ventricular decompression by continuous-flow versus pulsatile-flow LVADs on myocardial structure and function in this population. METHODS AND RESULTS Sixty-one patients who underwent LVAD implantation as bridge-to-transplant were an...

Characteristics of ventricular tachycardia ablation in patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices.

BACKGROUND Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used as a bridge to cardiac transplantation or as destination therapy. Patients with LVADs are at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias. This study describes ventricular arrhythmia characteristics and ablation in patients implanted with a Heart Mate II device. METHODS AND RESULTS All patients with a Heart Mate II device who u...