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Updated: Dec 13, 2025
Use of a Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device/Left Atrium to Femoral Artery Bypass System for Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: August 16, 2021
The Lebanese left ventricular assist device experience, a success story despite the odds
R Hamdan1, S Fakih2, M Mohammad3
1Cardiology department, Beirut Cardiac Institute, Beirut, Lebanon. mdrighabh@hotmail.com.
Insights
Lebanese patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) show promising survival rates, with 81% alive at one year. However, heart transplantation rates are lower than international averages, highlighting a need for increased organ donation in Lebanon.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Public Health
Background:
- Heart failure remains a significant cause of death and illness.
- Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are critical for advanced heart failure patients lacking other options.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the characteristics and outcomes of Lebanese patients receiving LVADs.
- To compare Lebanese LVAD patient data with international registries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 78 patients implanted with LVADs between 2010 and 2019.
- Follow-up data collected up to 10 years post-implantation.
Main Results:
- One-year survival rate was 81% (15 deaths out of 78 patients).
- Leading early mortality cause: infection; leading late cause: cerebrovascular accidents (CVA).
- Pump thrombosis occurred in 12% of cases; hemorrhagic CVA was a severe long-term complication.
Conclusions:
- Lebanon's LVAD patient outcomes are comparable to international data, except for lower heart transplant rates.
- Increased organ donation efforts are crucial in Lebanon to improve transplant access for LVAD patients.
Background And Aim:
Heart failure is still a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Assist devices are reserved for advanced heart failure patients with no other therapeutic options. We aim in this paper to describe the characteristics and outcome of Lebanese left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients.
Results:
From 2010 till December 2019, 78 patients were implanted with assist devices at the Beirut cardiac Institute, 82 pumps were used. To the most recent follow up after 10 years, 26 patients died (34%). 24 patients of 35 (68%) survived more than 5 years. Seven patients only (9%) died during one month of surgery. One year mortality was 19% (15 patients). The leading cause of early mortality was infection, whereas cerebrovascular accidents CVA were the leading cause of late mortality. Pump thrombosis occurred in 12% of the cases. The most serious long term complication was haemorrhagic CVA. Only seven patients (9%) received heart transplantation, with a mean time on support prior to transplantation of 1303 ± 213 days.
Conclusion:
In this manuscript we reported the characteristics and outcome of the largest population of LVAD patients in Lebanon. The survival rate was 81% at one year. These findings were comparable to the international registries except for rates of heart transplantation. More efforts should be made to encourage organ donation in Lebanon.
