Effects of long-term Novacor artificial heart support on blood rheology

This study presents characteristics of hemorheology for six patients during long-term support (85-144 days) on a Novacor left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge-to-cardiac transplantation. Results indicate that a certain "baseline" rheology can be identified in patients whose support was uneventful. However, in the patients who had one or more neurologic episodes during support, these events were associated with altered hemorheology, including increases in plasma and relative blood viscosity, and red cell rigidity.