Hospital Readmissions After Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: Incidence, Causes, and Cost Analysis [1]
The University of Wisconsin group analyzed the etiology, costs, and effect on survival of unplanned readmissions after LVAD surgery. At a median follow-up of 11 months, 68 of the 103 patients (66%) were readmitted. The top 3 causes of readmission were GI bleeding, driveline infection, and stroke. Thirty patients (44%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. The median direct cost of each readmission was $7,546. Survival was not significantly affected by hospital readmission.