The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Jan 2015
Pediatric heart transplant waiting list mortality in the era of ventricular assist devices.
Earlier reviews have reported unacceptably high incidence of pediatric heart transplant (PHT) waiting list mortality. An increase in ventricular assist devices (VAD) suggests a potential positive effect. This study evaluated PHT waiting list mortality in the era of pediatric VADs. ⋯ Despite an increase in the number of children listed as Status 1A, there was more than a 50% reduction in waiting list mortality in the new era. Irrespective of other factors, patients supported with a VAD were 4 times more likely to survive to transplant.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Jan 2015
Outcome of cardiac transplantation in patients requiring prolonged continuous-flow left ventricular assist device support.
This study assessed the early and late outcomes after cardiac transplantation in patients receiving long-term continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) support. ⋯ The overall short-term and long-term cardiac transplant outcomes of patients supported with CF-LVAD are satisfactory. However, patients who require prolonged CF-LVAD support may have diminished post-transplant survival due to adverse events occurring during device support.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Jan 2015
In-hospital outcomes of a minimally invasive off-pump left thoracotomy approach using a centrifugal continuous-flow left ventricular assist device.
Minimally invasive left thoracotomy (MILT) and off-pump implantation strategies have been anecdotally reported for implantation of the HeartWare ventricular assist device (HVAD). We analyzed our experience with off-pump MILT implantation techniques and compared early in-hospital outcomes with conventional on-pump sternotomy (CS) implantation strategy. ⋯ An off-pump MILT implantation strategy can be utilized as a safe surgical approach for patients undergoing HVAD implantation. Further large collaborative studies are needed to identify advantages of the MILT approach.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Dec 2014
Comparative StudyAwake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation bridging for pulmonary retransplantation provides comparable results to elective retransplantation.
Lung retransplantation became an accepted treatment for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). However, the value of different bridging modalities for these patients is controversial. ⋯ Awake ECMO bridging for retransplantation provides comparable results to elective retransplantation.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Dec 2014
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and cystatin C for the prediction of clinical events in patients with advanced heart failure and after ventricular assist device placement.
Progressive renal dysfunction develops in patients with advanced HF. We evaluated neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C compared with established markers of renal function in patients with heart failure (HF) because they might improve prognostic assessment of patients with HF. ⋯ NGAL levels correlate with HF severity and hemodynamic improvement after VAD placement. Our findings suggest a role of this novel biomarker as a marker of severity and prognosis in patients with HF.