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Troubleshooting Left Ventricular Assist Devices: Modern Technology and Its Limitations

  • Heart Failure (W Tang, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of review

As the incidence of heart failure continues to rise, modern generation left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become the primary therapeutic modality used as both bridge to transplant (BTT) and destination therapy (DT) in patients with acute and chronic heart failure. This review aims to highlight the progression of LVAD technology, outline LVAD complications and manifestations, and provide evidence-based therapeutic methods to troubleshoot such adverse events.

Recent findings

Despite modern innovation, LVAD adverse events continue to hinder the progress of HF paradigms and are associated with a rise in morbidity and mortality. Complications such as bleeding, pump thrombosis, right heart failure, infections, stroke, valvular insufficiency, and arrhythmias are among the most described.

Summary

While the management of LVAD complications is described, standardized guidelines are needed to properly identify and troubleshoot all the complications faced by this patient population to decrease morbidity and mortality further.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Iberoamericana, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Alfredo L. Toll MD

  2. Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, FL, USA

    Luis Hernandez Mejia MD

  3. Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA

    Amandeep Sidhu MS

  4. Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Andres Carmona-Rubio MD, FACC

Authors
  1. Alfredo L. Toll MD
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  2. Luis Hernandez Mejia MD
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  3. Amandeep Sidhu MS
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  4. Andres Carmona-Rubio MD, FACC
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luis Hernandez Mejia MD.

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Alfredo L. Toll declares that he has no conflict of interest. Luis Hernandez-Mejia declares that he has no conflict of interest. Amandeep Sidhu declares that she has no conflict of interest. Andres Carmona-Rubio declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Troubleshooting Left Ventricular Assist Devices

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Heart Failure

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Toll, A.L., Hernandez Mejia, L., Sidhu, A. et al. Troubleshooting Left Ventricular Assist Devices: Modern Technology and Its Limitations. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 23, 62 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-021-00939-w

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