scholarly journals Myocardial Recovery Using Ventricular Assist Devices

Circulation ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 112 (9_supplement) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc A. Simon ◽  
Robert L. Kormos ◽  
Srinivas Murali ◽  
Pradeep Nair ◽  
Michael Heffernan ◽  
...  

Background— Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are important bridges to cardiac transplantation. VAD support may also function as a bridge to ventricular recovery (BTR); however, clinical predictors of recovery and long-term outcomes remain uncertain. We examined the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of BTR subjects in a large single center series. Methods and Results— We implanted VADs in 154 adults at the University of Pittsburgh from 1996 through 2003. Of these implants, 10 were BTR. This included 2/80 (2.5%) ischemic patients (supported 42 and 61 days, respectively). Both subjects had surgical revascularization, required perioperative left VAD support, and were alive and transplant-free at follow up (232 and 1319 days, respectively). A larger percentage of nonischemic patients underwent BTR (8/74, 11%; age 30±14; 88% female; left ventricular ejection fraction 18±6%; supported 112±76 days). Three had myocarditis, 4 had post-partum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), and 1 had idiopathic cardiomyopathy. Five received biventricular support. After explantation, ventricular function declined in 2 PPCM patients who then required transplantation. Ventricular recovery in the 6 nonischemic patients surviving transplant-free was maintained (left ventricular ejection fraction 54±5%; follow-up 1.5±0.9 years). Overall, 8 of 10 BTR patients are alive and free of transplant (follow-up 1.6±1.1 years). Conclusions— In a large single center series, BTR was evident in 11% of nonischemic patients, and the need for biventricular support did not preclude recovery. For most BTR subjects presenting with acute inflammatory cardiomyopathy, ventricular recovery was maintained long-term. VAD support as BTR should be considered in the care of acute myocarditis and PPCM.

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P C Kahr ◽  
P Kaufmann ◽  
J Kuster ◽  
J Tonko ◽  
A Breitenstein ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cardiac-resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in selected symptomatic patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and wide QRS complex. While many patients demonstrate a response to CRT within the first year of follow-up, sustained or late response to CRT is highly relevant but poorly characterized. Purpose To characterize the patient population that demonstrates improvements of LVEF late after CRT implantation, irrespective of the primary response, and to identify factors associated with beneficial long-term outcome. Methods All patients undergoing CRT implantation at our institution between Nov 2000 and Jan 2015 with at least two follow-up echocardiographic studies were included. Primary follow-up (FU1) was performed within one year after CRT implantation (median 6.1 months [IQR: 3.5–10.7]). The most recent echocardiography at a median follow-up time of 3.9 years [27.3–70.4] was considered as long-term follow-up (FU2). LVEF-based response to CRT was stratified into 4 categories: non-response (ΔLVEF <−5%), non-progression (−5% to +5%), response (+6 to +15%) and super-response (>+15%). Primary study endpoint was the composite of all-cause death, heart transplantation or implantation of a ventricular assist device. Results Out of 362 patients (median age 65.9 years, 23% female, 41% with ischemic cardiomyopathy), 99 (27.3%) demonstrated LVEF improvements beyond their primary response to CRT (blue bars in figure). At baseline, late responders demonstrated lower LVEF (23.4% [19.0–30.0] vs. 27.0 [22.0–32.0], p=0.005) and an increased prevalence of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (67.8% vs. 55.9%, p=0.042) compared to the remaining patients. Reduction in LVEDV(I) at FU1 correlated positively with late response (ΔLVEDV −28.5 ml [−71.8; −3.25] vs. 18.0 [−46.0; 3.0], p=0.033). Importantly, late responders were seen amongst all types of primary response, including patients demonstrating a negative response with substantially worsened LVEF at first follow-up after CRT implantation. Finally, patients with late response demonstrated significantly better survival compared to patients with late progression of heart failure or continued non-progression (median survival 7.8 [7.1–8.5] vs. 7.0 [6.6–7.5] years, aHR 0.54 [0.33–0.88] p=0.013 on multivariate cox regression analysis). Conclusions A significant proportion of patients achieves LVEF improvements beyond the initial phase after CRT implantation indicating a substantial limitation in categorizing patients into “responders” and “non-responders” based on the initial response to CRT. Further prospective studies are required to validate these findings and optimize treatment strategies for CRT patients.


Author(s):  
María Monteagudo Vela ◽  
Verónica Rial Bastón ◽  
Vasileios Panoulas ◽  
Fernando Riesgo Gil ◽  
Andre Simon

Abstract OBJECTIVES Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation for end-stage heart failure patients has been on the rise, providing a reliable long-term option. For some LVAD patients, longer term LV unloading leads to recovery; hence, the need for evaluating potential myocardial recovery and weaning eligibility has emerged. METHODS All patients who underwent contemporary LVAD explantation at our institution between 2009 and 2020 were included in the study. Patients in New York Heart Association I, left ventricular ejection fraction &gt;40%, a cardiac index &gt;2.4 l/min and a peak oxygen intake &gt;50% predicted underwent a 4-phase weaning assessment. A minimally invasive approach using a titanium plug was the surgery of choice in the most recent explants. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to estimate the survival at 1 and 5 years. RESULTS Twenty-six patients (17 HeartMate II, 9 HeartWare) underwent LVAD explantation after a median 317 days of support [IQ (212–518)], range 131–1437. Mean age at explant was 35.8 ± 12.7 years and 85% were males. Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy was the underlying diagnosis in 70% of cases. Thirteen (48%) patients were on short-term mechanical circulatory support and 60% required intensive care unit admission prior to the LVAD implantation. At 1 year, Kaplan–Meier estimated survival was 88%, whereas at 6 years, it was 77%. The average left ventricular ejection fraction at 1 year post-explant was 44.25% ± 8.44. CONCLUSIONS The use of a standardized weaning protocol (echocardiographic and invasive) and a minimally invasive LVAD explant technique minimizes periprocedural complications and leads to good long-term device-free survival rates.


Circulation ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 92 (9) ◽  
pp. 216-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edimar Alcides Bocchi ◽  
Guilherme Veiga Guimarães ◽  
Luiz Felipe P. Moreira ◽  
Fernando Bacal ◽  
Alvaro Vilela de Moraes ◽  
...  

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