Growing Long-Term Use of LVADs

The success of long-term implantable left ventricular-assist devices (LVADs) has led to their increased use in patients previously thought to be unsuitable for mechanical support.

A study published in the September-October 2004 issue of the Journal of Cardiac Surgery documents this shift in the profile of patients in need of artificial hearts to a higher risk group. Researchers looked at the clinical records of 131 consecutive recipients of a LVAD as a bridge-to-transplantation, and found that despite the high-risk status of the patients, the overall mortality rate remained low at 50%. These results could have implications for the funding of artificial heart programs whereby more patients in the high-risk category would be candidates for mechanical assistance.

"The results continue to emphasize that patient selection is the predominant criteria for success in artificial heart programs, but that high-risk patients can be helped in experienced centers,” noted author Dr. Vivec Rao, surgical director of heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory assistance at the Toronto General Hospital.




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