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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

In Vitro Thrombosis Test for Ventricular Assist Devices
09:15

In Vitro Thrombosis Test for Ventricular Assist Devices

Published on: March 21, 2025

797

Left Ventricular Assist Device Thrombosis: Combined Approach by Echocardiography and Logfiles Review for Diagnosis

Nicola Vitale1, Tommaso Acquaviva1, Teresa Paola Quagliara1

  • 1Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Policlinico Hospital, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.

Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery
|May 3, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Echocardiography and device logfile reviews effectively diagnose left ventricular assist device thrombosis. This combined approach, along with lactate dehydrogenase monitoring, enables successful treatment of thrombosis in heart failure patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are crucial for end-stage heart failure.
  • Thrombosis is a significant complication requiring effective diagnostic methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate echocardiography, HeartWare HVAD logfiles, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) for diagnosing and treating LVAD thrombosis.

Main Methods:

  • Seventeen thrombosis episodes in 8/20 patients were analyzed.
  • Diagnosis utilized trans-thoracic echocardiography, HVAD logfile review, and LDH levels.
  • Data collected at baseline, during thrombosis, and post-thrombolysis.

Main Results:

  • Thrombolysis was successful in all cases.
  • Echocardiography showed significantly increased maximal velocity near the inflow cannula during thrombosis (598±42 cm/sec vs. 378±28 cm/sec, P<0.00001).
  • LVAD blood flow decreased (9.52±0.9 L/min vs. 4.04±0.4 L/min, P<00001), power consumption increased (5.01±0.7 W vs. 3.46±0.2 W, P<0.00001), and LDH levels rose (756±54 IU vs. 234±22 IU, P<0.00001) during thrombosis.

Conclusions:

  • Increased echocardiographic velocity near the inflow cannula indicates LVAD obstruction.
  • Logfile reviews clearly show LVAD obstruction.
  • Combining echocardiography and logfile review effectively detects LVAD thrombosis for successful treatment.
Abstract

Keywords:
Aortic ValveEchocardiographyHeart-Assist DevicesThrombosisTomographyX-Ray Computed

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