Quantitative Assessment of Inflow Malposition in Two Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices

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...

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...

Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Dynamic left ventricular assist device inflow obstruction.

A 72-year-old man with a history of rheumatic heart disease , prior bioprosthetic mitral and aortic valve replacement , severe nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (left ventricular [LV] ejection fraction 5%), and a history of ven-tricular tachycardia (VT) underwent implantation of a continuous flow LV assist device (LVAD; HeartMate II; Thoratec Corporation) as destination therapy for severe hear...