Ventricular Assist Device Support: Single Pediatric Institution Experience Over Two Decades

We reviewed our single institutional experience with pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) support over the last 2 decades, with an aim to improve our current management and gain an insight into the future direction.

A retrospective review was conducted on all patients that had undergone VAD support between 1996 and 2017. Outcomes were analyzed based on the type of VADs, whether temporary or durable devices. Primary end points were positive outcomes, including bridge-to-transplantation, bridge-to-recovery, alive on device, and bridge-to-bridge to another VAD, or negative outcomes, including death during VAD support or in-hospital death after bridge-to-recovery. The Pediatric Interagency Registry for Mechanical Circulatory Support definition was used to classify adverse events.

Overall, 201 VADs were implanted in 159 patients, with 82 (41%) and 119 (59%) being temporary and durable support, respectively. There has been a trend toward an increasing annual implant volume both with temporary and durable VADs. Positive outcomes were achieved in 80% (66 of 82) of those with temporary support, with bridge-to-recovery (53% [35 of 66]) and bridge-to-bridge to another VAD (38% [25 of 66]) being the predominant outcomes. Of those on durable support, 84% (100 of 119) achieved positive outcomes, with bridge-to-transplant (66% [78 of 119]) being the leading destination. The most notable change during the study period was the introduction of implantable continuous-flow VADs, resulting in outpatient management becoming a routine practice. No patients were discharged on VAD support before 2004, but 85% were discharged on VADs with discharge capability after 2013.

The present study has demonstrated the evolutional changes of pediatric VAD support and their effect on clinical outcomes over the last 2 decades.