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Clinical Use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices
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Clinical Use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Cardiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2019) | Viewed by 12971

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Barry Trachtenberg

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, 6550 Fannin St. Suite 1901, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Interests: mechanical circulatory support; cardio-oncology; amyloidosis; myocarditis; cardiomyopathies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The era of ventricular assist devices (VAD) has arrived and is here to stay. In the USA, over 20,000 durable devices (the vast majority of which are isolated to the left ventricle i.e. “LVADs”) have been implanted in over 180 hospitals. As the technology continues to advance, patients with durable LVADs are living longer and with improved quality of life compared to patients on early generation devices. Most of these patients continue to be followed by internists for their general health. As inpatients, many LVAD patients are cared for by hospitals and internal medicine subspecialties for adverse events that are common for patients on long-term device support such as infections, gastrointestinal bleeding, and strokes. As the field continues to advance, with multiple FDA-approved devices, and as the volume of patients increases, it is imperative that the care of these patients is shared between heart failure cardiologists and the patients’ primary care physicians. This Special Issue aims to both update the internal medicine community on VAD use as well as to provide a forum for clinical and translational research within the VAD community.

Dr. Barry Trachtenberg
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Ventricular assist device
  • Mechanical circulatory support
  • Heart failure
  • Destination therapy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 238 KiB  
Article
Suffering and Healing in the Context of LVAD Treatment
by Kristin Kostick, Meredith Trejo and J.S. Blumenthal-Barby
J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(5), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8050660 - 11 May 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2565
Abstract
Background: Illness narratives with meaningful, competent and targeted content have been shown to provide useful guides for patient decision-making and have positive influences on health behaviors. The use of narratives in decision aids can confer a sense of structure, plot and context to [...] Read more.
Background: Illness narratives with meaningful, competent and targeted content have been shown to provide useful guides for patient decision-making and have positive influences on health behaviors. The use of narratives in decision aids can confer a sense of structure, plot and context to illness experiences and help patients make treatment decisions that feel sensible, informed, and transparent. Aim: This paper presents narratives of suffering and healing from patients and their caregivers with advanced heart failure who engaged in decision-making regarding Left Ventricular Device Assist (LVAD) treatment. Methods: Narratives were collected from in-depth interviews with patients who accepted (n = 15) versus declined (n = 15) LVAD implant, LVAD candidates who had received education about LVAD and were in the process of making a decision (n = 15), and caregivers (family or significant others) of LVAD patients (n = 15). Results: Participants shared “restitution” narratives that most commonly conveyed a shift from pre-implant physical suffering and “daily hell,” fatigue so intense it “hurts,” along with emotional suffering from inability to engage with the world, to post-implant improvements in mobility and quality of life, including positivity and family support, adaptation on a “journey,” “getting one’s life back” and becoming “normal” again. Conclusion: For LVAD patients, other patients’ illness narratives can help to give meaning to their own illness and treatment experiences and to more accurately forecast treatment impacts on lifestyle and identity. For clinicians, patient narratives can enhance patient–practitioner communication and understanding by highlighting perspectives and values that structure patients’ clinical experiences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices)
12 pages, 848 KiB  
Article
Implication of Ventricular Assist Devices in Extracorporeal Membranous Oxygenation Patients Listed for Heart Transplantation
by Ashrith Guha, Bashar Hannawi, Ana S. Cruz-Solbes, Duc T. Nguyen, Brian A. Bruckner, Barry Trachtenberg, Edward A. Graviss, Arvind Bhimaraj, Myung Park, Imad Hussain, Thomas E. MacGillivray, Erik E. Suarez and Jerry D. Estep
J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(5), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8050572 - 26 Apr 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2566
Abstract
The new allocation criteria classify patients on veno-arterial extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (VA-ECMO) as the highest priority for receiving orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) especially if they are considered not candidates for ventricular assist devices. The outcomes of patients who receive ventricular assist devices (VADs) [...] Read more.
The new allocation criteria classify patients on veno-arterial extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (VA-ECMO) as the highest priority for receiving orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) especially if they are considered not candidates for ventricular assist devices. The outcomes of patients who receive ventricular assist devices (VADs) after being listed for heart transplantation with VA-ECMO is unknown. We analyzed 355 patients listed for OHT with VA-ECMO from the United Network for Organ Sharing database from 2006 to 2014. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models were used to determine the contribution of prognostic variables to the outcome. Thirty-three patients (9.3%) received VADs (15 dischargeable, 7 non-dischargeable VADs). The VAD and non-VAD groups had similar listing characteristics except that the VAD group were more likely to have non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (48.5% vs. 25.2%), and less likely to be obese (6.1% vs. 25.2%) or have a history of prior organ transplant (3% vs. 31.1%). Patients who underwent VAD implantation had more days on the list (median 189 vs. 14 days) compared to the non-VAD group. Amongst the patients who had VADs, (25/33) 75.5% patients were subsequently transplanted with similar post-transplant survival compared to the non-VAD group (72% vs. 60.5%; p = 0.276). Predictors of one-year post-transplant mortality included panel reactive antibodies (PRA) class I ≥ 20%, recipient smoking history, increased serum creatinine and total bilirubin. Therefore, a small proportion of patients listed for transplantation with VA ECMO undergo VAD implantation. Their waitlist survival is better than non-VAD group but with similar post-transplant survival. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices)
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11 pages, 892 KiB  
Article
Identifying Knowledge Gaps among LVAD Candidates
by Meredith Buchberg Trejo, Kristin M. Kostick, Jerry D. Estep and J.S. Blumenthal-Barby
J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(4), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8040549 - 23 Apr 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3261
Abstract
Education is an important aspect of evaluation and consent for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) candidates. A better understanding of candidate knowledge during the education process can help identify knowledge gaps and improve informed consent processes. This paper presents the results from a [...] Read more.
Education is an important aspect of evaluation and consent for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) candidates. A better understanding of candidate knowledge during the education process can help identify knowledge gaps and improve informed consent processes. This paper presents the results from a validated, LVAD-specific Knowledge Scale administered to candidates before and after education to identify items most and least frequently answered correctly. At baseline and 1-week, both candidates educated with a standard education and an LVAD-specific decision aid were most likely to answer logistical items relating to support and self-care correctly with ≥90% of candidates answering these items correctly after education. Candidates were least likely to answer questions about risks, transplant eligibility, and expenses correctly with <60% of candidates answering them correctly after education. Items with the greatest improvement in correct answers from baseline to 1-week were primarily related to the logistics of living with an LVAD. Candidates educated with the decision aid showed significant improvements on more knowledge items including those related to the forecasting of recovery and complications when compared to candidates educated with a standard education. The 20-item scale provides a standardized way for clinicians to identify knowledge gaps with LVAD candidates, potentially helping to tailor education. Targeted improvements in LVAD education should focus on the understanding of risk and potential complications to ensure that decision-making and informed consent processes emphasize both the patient and clinicians’ conceptualizations of knowledge needs for informed consent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices)
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Review

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9 pages, 4625 KiB  
Review
Innovative Modeling Techniques and 3D Printing in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Bridge from Bench to Clinical Practice
by Rishi Thaker, Raquel Araujo-Gutierrez, Hernan G. Marcos-Abdala, Tanushree Agrawal, Nadia Fida and Mahwash Kassi
J. Clin. Med. 2019, 8(5), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8050635 - 09 May 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4259
Abstract
Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) cause altered flow dynamics that may result in complications such as stroke, pump thrombosis, bleeding, or aortic regurgitation. Understanding altered flow dynamics is important in order to develop more efficient and durable pump configurations. In patients with LVAD, [...] Read more.
Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) cause altered flow dynamics that may result in complications such as stroke, pump thrombosis, bleeding, or aortic regurgitation. Understanding altered flow dynamics is important in order to develop more efficient and durable pump configurations. In patients with LVAD, hemodynamic assessment is limited to imaging techniques such as echocardiography which precludes detailed assessment of fluid dynamics. In this review article, we present some innovative modeling techniques that are often used in device development or for research purposes, but have not been utilized clinically. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling is based on computer simulations and particle image velocimetry (PIV) employs ex vivo models that helps study fluid characteristics such as pressure, shear stress, and velocity. Both techniques may help elaborate our understanding of complications that occur with LVAD and could be potentially used in the future to troubleshoot LVAD-related alarms. These techniques coupled with 3D printing may also allow for patient-specific device implants, lowering the risk of complications increasing device durability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices)
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