Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
In Vitro Thrombosis Test for Ventricular Assist Devices
Published on: March 21, 2025
Left ventricular assist device pump thrombosis: is there a role for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors?
Lavanya Bellumkonda1, Lakshman Subrahmanyan, Daniel Jacoby
1From the *Division of Cardiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; and †Section of Cardiac Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Insights
Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors show a high failure rate for treating left ventricular assist device (LVAD) pump thrombosis. This study reports the largest case series, suggesting caution with this therapy for heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Thrombosis
Background:
- Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are crucial for end-stage heart failure patients awaiting transplant or ineligible for it.
- LVADs face complications like pump thrombosis, a serious event requiring invasive treatment.
- Current treatments for LVAD pump thrombosis include device exchange or systemic thrombolytics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in treating LVAD pump thrombosis.
- To assess the failure rate of this proposed therapy in a large case series.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of the largest case series to date.
- Review of patients treated with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors for LVAD pump thrombosis.
Main Results:
- Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors demonstrated a previously unreported high failure rate in treating LVAD pump thrombosis.
- This suggests limitations in using these agents as a primary therapy.
Conclusions:
- Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are associated with a high failure rate for LVAD pump thrombosis.
- Alternative or adjunctive therapies may be necessary for effective management.
Abstract:
Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) fill a critical need by providing circulatory support to patients with end-stage heart failure who are either ineligible for heart transplant or too ill to stably wait for an eventual donor organ. Furthermore, they are critical to the arsenal of the heart failure cardiologist, given the supply/demand mismatch for donor organs. Unfortunately, these devices present their own complications. Despite antiplatelet agents and systemic anticoagulation, a number of patients present with pump thrombosis, a life-threatening event requiring either pump exchange or treatment with systemic thrombolytics. In an effort to avoid these morbid therapies, glycogen IIb/IIIa inhibitors, which have both antiplatelet and thrombolytic properties, have been proposed to treat pump thrombosis. We report here the largest case series using these agents and document a previously unreported high failure rate with this therapy.
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