Device-related infections in recipients of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have been recognized as a major source of morbidity and mortality. They require a high level of diagnostic effort as part of the overall burden resulting from infectious complications in LVAD recipients. We present a multi-allergic patient who was treated for persistent sterile intrathoracic abscess formation and ...

Implantable left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are successfully used as a bridge to transplant if the patient's condition is worsening and no donor organ is available. They allow recovery of compromised organ function. However, postoperative bleeding, thrombemboelism, and right-heart failure may jeopardize the important improvement of organ function and may even lead to death. We introduce ...

BACKGROUND The interleukin-33 (IL-33)/suppressor of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) pathway is suggested to play an important role in fibrosis, remodelling and the progression of heart failure (HF). Increased soluble (sST2) levels are associated with adverse outcome in the average HF population. Less is known about sST2 levels in end-stage HF. Therefore, we studied sST2 levels in end-stage HF and the ef...

Introduction: Inadequate nutritional support after LVAD placement is known to increase postoperative infections and to decrease survival. LVAD patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation and complicated postoperative recovery requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation may require long-term tube feedings. Placement of a PEG requires knowledge of the location of the LVAD pocket and driveline t...

Right ventricular failure (RVF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation appears to be associated with increased mortality. However, the determination of which patients are at greater risk of developing postoperative RVF remains controversial and relatively unknown. We sought to determine the preoperative risk factors for the development of RVF after LVAD implantation. The data ...

BACKGROUND Pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to left heart failure portends a poor prognosis and is a relative contraindication to heart transplantation at many centers. We tested the hypothesis that when PH persists after adequate left ventricle unloading via recent left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy, phosphodiesterase type 5A inhibition would decrease PH in this population. M...

Left ventricular (LV) assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used in everyday clinical practice either as a bridge for end-stage heart failure (HF) patients to heart transplantation or as a permanent (destination) therapy.1,2 Yet, there is still significant uncertainty about the consequences of this intervention both at the level of the detailed myocardial biology (ie, biological outcomes) and...

INTRODUCTION Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is a viable therapy for patients with severe end-stage heart failure, providing effective haemodynamic support and improved quality of life. The Heart Assist 5 (Micromed Cardiovascular Inc, Houston, TX) continuous-flow LVAD has been on the market in Europe since May 2009. METHODS We evaluated nine Heart Assist 5 LVAD patients wit...

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVAD) are now providing years of safe circulatory support with enhanced quality of life. We present four cases of patients with advanced heart failure who received support for greater than 5-years with the HeartMate II CF-LVAD. One patient continues with support at 7.5 years and has decided to not undergo cardiac transplantation. Another patie...

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation without the use of any blood products is considered as a challenge. We present a 48-year-old patient (175 cm, 75 kg, body mass index 24.5 kg/m2) who was admitted to our clinic due to end-stage heart failure. The patient is a Jehovah's witness. He declined full blood transfusion as well as use of coagulation factors. Therefore, we interdisciplin...