Intra-aortic balloon pump as a bridge therapy to heart transplant in refractory heart failure

Background The role of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in advanced heart failure (HF) treatment is still under debate. Some heart transplant (HTx) candidates on the waiting list require mechanical support, and IABP may be the simple and most available device. Purpose Describe the impact of IABP treatment in advanced HF patients who underwent HTx. Methods We retrospectively analysis patients who underwent HTx from a single center intensive care unit (ICU), between 2009 and 2018, to evaluate the use of IABP as bridge therapy. Selection included decompensated chronic HF patients that required intensive care with optimized intravenous drugs before IABP placement. Exclusion criteria were acute myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery 90 days prior to admission, and implant of ventricular assist device before HTx. Results We included 134 HF patients with IABP therapy before HTx. Insertion site was exclusively femoral. Mean time of IABP onset to HTx were 26±21 days, and hospital admission to HTx 65±45 days. The main cardiomyopathy etiology was Chagas Disease (46%) and mean LVEF was 23±6% (TABLE 1). Clinical and laboratory data were compared before and 96 hours after IABP therapy. Mean central venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) increased from 49.7±14.6% to 67.4±11.3% (p<0.001), creatinine decreased from 1.77±0.9 mg/dL to 1.40±0.6 mg/dL (p<0.001), and urine output increased from 1552±886 mL/24h to 2189±1029 mL/24h (p<0.001). These differences were sustained or improved until the day before HTx (FIGURE 1). After 96 hours dobutamine was maintained in 98% of patients, nitroprusside increased from 56% to 67%, milrinone decreased from 26% to 20%, and norepinephrine decreased from 18% to 3%. Significant IABP complications were few (5.2%; n=7: 3 infections, 2 major bleeding, 2 arterial injury). Conclusion In this single center ICU sample, IABP improved hemodynamic status and renal function in refractory HF patients waiting for HTx. IABP can be a reasonable, available and effective bridging therapy. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None