Pump thrombosis is a serious complication of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). Treatment options include medical thrombolysis, surgical pump exchange or urgent heart transplantation. We are reporting a case of pump thrombosis with active hemolysis and acute renal failure managed surgically by isolating the LVAD while awaiting renal recovery and donor heart availability.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are used to improve the systemic circulation and to decrease ventricular loading in patients with hemodynamic instability that is refractory to pharmacologic therapies. During an acute critical event, percutaneous devices are preferred because of their rapid deployment, since implantable devices require more extensive procedures. Implantable devices are used fo...

Number of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantations increases every year, particularly LVADs for destination therapy (DT). Right ventricular failure (RVF) has been recognized as a serious complication of LVAD implantation. Reported incidence of RVF after LVAD ranges from 6% to 44%, varying mostly due to differences in RVF definition, different types of LVADs, and differences in patien...

The use of left ventricular assist devices in treating patients with end-stage heart failure has increased significantly in recent years, both as a bridge to transplantation and as destination therapy in those who are ineligible for cardiac transplantation. This increase is based largely on the results of several recently completed clinical trials with the new second-generation continuous-flow ...

Despite considerable improvements in the medical treatment of heart failure (HF), the gold standard for the treatment of these patients remains heart transplantation. Nevertheless, in consideration of the shortage of organ donors, this procedure can be offered only to a small percentage of patients who could benefit from a new heart. A number of innovative approaches are being investigated in t...

The field of cardiac mechanical assist devices has achieved a number of striking technical breakthroughs over the past 40 years. Emblematic of the type of important technical accomplishments that have been achieved in this field has been the development of the portable, battery-driven left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for patients with intractable cardiac failure. Although LVADs have been u...

In this case, our patient was a heart transplant candidate connected to a respiratory system. An extracorporeal biventricular assist device (BIVAD) was the only option in order to bridge to transplantation. In routine procedures, it is recommended that Berlin Heart Excor cannulas be removed through the subfascial subcostal tunnel. As the severely dilated right ventricle compressed the apex of t...

UNLABELLED Patient selection is crucial for the success of ventricular assist devices as a bridge to heart transplantation. PURPOSE The objective of this study was to identify preoperative markers for survival and end-organ recovery in patients having a ventricular assist device. METHODS A retrospective study was performed on 32 severely ill patients with end-stage cardiac failure being mec...

In this paper, we discuss several control techniques for Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) and describe a hierarchical control structure that can be used to regulate the operation of a turbo-hydrodynamic VAD. Early assist devices were pulsatile, and control usually focused on regulating flow, atrial and/or arterial pressures. In recent years, non-pulsatile turbo-hydronamic devices have been int...