A Case Report About Cardiac Arrest After Left Ventricular Assist Device Explantation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Cardiac Surgery
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Advanced heart failure is treated with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).
• LVADs can lead to reverse remodeling and cardiac recovery, enabling device explantation.
• Surgical interventions during explantation, like ventriculoplasty, may create scar tissue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of cardiac arrest following LVAD explantation.
• To highlight the potential risk of ventricular arrhythmias after LVAD explantation with ventriculoplasty.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a patient with advanced heart failure.
• Patient underwent LVAD implantation followed by explantation due to cardiac recovery.
• Post-explantation monitoring and clinical course assessment.

Main Results:

• The patient experienced cardiac arrest a few months after LVAD explantation.
• The cardiac arrest was potentially linked to ventricular arrhythmias.
• Surgical scarring from ventriculoplasty and apex repair was implicated as a substrate.

Conclusions:

• Complete LVAD explantation with ventriculoplasty and patch repair may pose a risk for ventricular arrhythmias.
• Cardiac recovery and device explantation require careful consideration of potential long-term complications.
• Further investigation into arrhythmia risk after LVAD explantation is warranted.