A sobering editorial, read last May at the AATS, that discusses at length the ethics of ventricular assist as a super expensive therapy seen from the principle of fairness.
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VAD
December 22, 2017
Bansal and colleagues describe survival after left ventricular assist device placement for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), based on Medicare claims associated with data in the United States Renal Data System registry. Prognosis for these patients was very poor compared to patients without ESRD, particularly in the short-term.
November 16, 2017
The incoming issue of the Journal comes with an interesting group of papers revolving around a provocative topic: work from Seattle on the absence of predictive value of standard pulmonary function tests in LVAD surgery. Vivek Rao takes the opportunity to present his thoughts in this brief editorial, the important central message of which cannot be
October 27, 2017
A measured succinct reflection on MagLev and older ventricular assist devices, on the occasion of a relevant 'expert opinion' paper on the topic.
October 12, 2017
The Impella RP device was approved by the FDA for use as a temporary percutaneous assist for the right ventricle, as announced by Abiomed. Use is approved for up to 14 days for a variety of indications including post MI, heart transplant, open heart surgery, or right heart failure after LVAD implant.
October 6, 2017
A stimulating editorial triggered by tri-species autopsy work on angiodysplasia potentially attributable to continuous-flow LVAD. Dr Birks discusses the findings and appears open to the suggestion that LVAD per se is a cause of gastrointestinal angiodysplasia and thence bleeding, as opposed to the anticoagulation for LVAD.
September 19, 2017
The authors queried the UNOS heart transplantation database to determine if LVAD device-related complications (DRCs) were associated with worse postoperative graft survival. The 5 categories of DRCs were as follows: device thrombosis, infection, device malfunction, life-threatening arrhythmias, and others.
March 5, 2017
Changes in end organ function were assessed in 59 pts having a continuous flow LVAD in place for more than 3 years. Renal and hepatic function improved initially, but renal function deteriorated to preoperative levels during the follow-up period.
February 15, 2017
The authors reviewed the retrospective INTERMACS database to assess whether outcomes after continuous-flow (CF) LVAD implantation varied with patient BSA. A total of over 10,000 CF LVAD patients were included. Of these, 231 (2%) had a BSA < 1.5 m².
January 31, 2017
The authors of this review article offer an approach to the utilization of a contempory mechanical circulatory support devices. They further provide insights of the key role that well-functioning interdisciplinary teams contribute to the success of a MCS program and future directions to consider as this field continues to rapidly evolve.