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Updated: May 11, 2026
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Use of a Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device/Left Atrium to Femoral Artery Bypass System for Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: August 16, 2021
Anesthesia for ventricular assist device placement: experience from a single center.
S Kocabas1, F Z Askar, T Yagdi
1Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. seden.kocabas@ege.edu.tr
Transplantation Proceedings
|April 30, 2013
Summary
Ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation for end-stage heart failure requires anesthesiologists to understand VADs and patient comorbidities. This review details anesthetic management, patient outcomes, and blood product usage in 84 VAD patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
Background:
- Ventricular assist devices (VADs) offer a crucial treatment for end-stage heart failure due to donor organ scarcity.
- Anesthetic management is vital for successful VAD implantation and patient recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical experience and anesthetic management of ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation at our institution.
- To analyze perioperative anesthetic care, including patient characteristics, anesthetic techniques, and blood product utilization.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 84 adult patients undergoing VAD implantation between April 2007 and August 2012.
- Analysis of preoperative factors, general anesthetic management, and perioperative blood product transfusion data.
Main Results:
- The majority of patients had dilated cardiomyopathy (70%). Etomidate and fentanyl were common induction and intraoperative agents, with sevoflurane or desflurane for maintenance.
- Significant blood product usage was noted, with an average of 3.96 units of packed red blood cells, 1.91 units of fresh frozen plasma, and 1.80 units of platelets.
- Patients were typically extubated within 13 hours of ICU admission, discharged on day 8, with 31 patients successfully bridged to transplantation.
Conclusions:
- Anesthesiologists must be well-versed in VAD technology and the extent of cardiac and end-organ dysfunction in patients undergoing VAD implantation.
- Careful anesthetic planning and management are essential for optimizing outcomes in VAD recipients.
