[Noncardiological surgical procedure for patients implanted with a ventricular assist device. Anesthesiological...

The implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD) is more frequently used as destination therapy of end-stage heart failure compared to the use of the device as bridge-to-transplantation, this results in an increasing number of noncardiac surgical procedures for patients implanted with a VAD.

For these procedures, the anesthesia provider faces various device-related complications, such as an increased risk for bleeding complications, thromboembolism, hypotension, infections, mechanical device limitations, and right heart failure. Anesthesia care is challenging in this high-risk patient population and has significant implications on patient outcome.

More research is needed to determine specific guidelines for the anesthesiological management of VAD patients undergoing noncardiac surgical procedures. In this manuscript, device-related perioperative complications and concepts of anesthesia care for noncardiac procedures in patients implanted with a VAD are briefly reviewed.