Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
Use of a Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device/Left Atrium to Femoral Artery Bypass System for Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: August 16, 2021
Clinical outcome in patients with end-stage heart failure who underwent continuous-flow left ventricular assist
Yoonjee Park1, Darae Kim1, Jeong Hoon Yang1,2
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Heart Vascular Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Continuous flow left ventricular assist device (cf-LVAD) implantation shows promising survival for advanced heart failure patients. This study details early outcomes, highlighting survival rates and common complications like bleeding.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Surgical Innovation
Background:
- Continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (cf-LVAD) improve survival in end-stage heart failure (HF).
- This study presents clinical experience with the initial 50 cf-LVAD patients at a single center.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical experience and outcomes of the first 50 patients receiving cf-LVAD implantation.
- To compare pre-implant characteristics and clinical outcomes between bridge to transplantation/candidacy (BTT/BTC) and destination therapy (DT) groups.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 50 patients who underwent cf-LVAD implantation between 2012 and 2019.
- Categorization into BTT/BTC (n=28) and DT (n=20) groups.
- Comparison of pre-implant data and post-operative outcomes.
Main Results:
- No in-hospital mortality observed.
- 22% all-cause mortality during an average follow-up of 14 months.
- First-year survival: 86% (BTT/BTC) and 90% (DT).
- Major bleeding (44%) and rehospitalization (76%) were common complications, with gastrointestinal bleeding being frequent.
Conclusions:
- This study provides initial short-term clinical outcomes for cf-LVAD patients in Korea.
- Improved outcomes are anticipated with newer cf-LVAD technology and dedicated multidisciplinary teams for end-stage HF management.
Background/Aims:
The continuous flow left ventricular assist device (cf-LVAD) has improved the survival of chronic end-stage heart failure (HF) patients. Here we describe our clinical experience of the initial 50 LVAD patients from a single center.
Methods:
A total of 50 patients underwent LVAD implantation as bridge to transplantation (BTT; n = 28, 56%), bridge to candidacy (BTC; n = 2, 4%), or as destination therapy (DT; n = 20, 40%) from 2012 to 2019. Pre-implant characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between BTT/BTC and DT.
Results:
The median age of patients was 67 years (range, 59 to 73). Men were more likely to receive LVAD (76% vs. 24%) than women. DT patients were older, had smaller body surface area, and worse laboratory profiles than BTT/BTC patients. There was no in-hospital mortality. During an average of 14 months (range, 8 to 23), the all-cause mortality was 22%. The first-year survival was 86 and 90% in BTT/BTC and DT groups, respectively. Hemorrhagic stroke was the most common cause (27%) of death. In the BTT/BTC group, 22 patients successfully underwent heart transplantation during median duration of 10 months (range, 7 to 14). The most common post-LVAD complication during the first year of LVAD implantation was major bleeding (44%). A significant proportion (76%) of patients experienced rehospitalization with gastrointestinal bleeding as the most common cause.
Conclusion:
We describe short-term clinical outcome of LVAD patients from a single center for the first time in Korea. With the newer generation LVAD and a dedicated team approach, improved clinical outcomes of LVAD for end-stage HF are expected.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies
01:29Cardiomyopathy V: Interprofessional Care
01:26Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
01:30Heart Failure V: Medical Management
01:29Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
01:30Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy