Prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial evaluating the performance of a novel combination powder vs hemostatic matrix in cardiothoracic operations.

AIM: This trial compared the hemostatic performance of a novel combination powder (CP) to a control hemostatic matrix (HM) in cardiothoracic operations. METHODS: Patients meeting eligibility criteria were enrolled after providing informed consent. Subjects were randomized intraoperatively to receive CP (HEMOBLAST Bellows; Biom'up, France) or HM (FLOSEAL Hemostatic Matrix; Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Hayward, CA). Bleeding was assessed using a clinically validated, quantitative bleeding severity scale. The primary endpoint was total time to hemostasis (TTTH), from the start of device preparation, as an indicator of when a surgeon asks for a surgical hemostat until hemostasis was achieved. TTTH at 3 minutes was utilized for the primary analysis, while TTTH at 5 minutes was considered as a secondary endpoint. RESULTS: A total of 105 subjects were enrolled across four institutions. The primary efficacy endpoint for the superiority of CP relative to HM for success at achieving hemostasis within 3 minutes was met, with 64.2% of the CP group achieving hemostasis compared with 9.6% of the HM group, a difference of 54.54% (37.4%-71.6%; P < .001 for superiority). The secondary efficacy endpoint was also met, with 92.5% of the CP group achieving hemostasis at 5 minutes versus 44.2% in the HM group, a difference of 48.2% (31.1%-65.4%; P < .001 for noninferiority). There were no device-related adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, comparison of CP to HM revealed CP superiority and noninferiority for TTTH at 3 and 5 minutes, respectively.

The Impact of EuroSCORE II Risk Factors on Prediction of Long-Term Mortality.

BACKGROUND: The European System for Cardiac Operation Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) II has not been tested yet for predicting long-term mortality. This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between EuroSCORE II and long-term mortality and to develop a new algorithm based on EuroSCORE II factors to predict long-term survival after cardiac surgery. METHODS: Complete data on 10,033 patients who underwent major cardiac surgery during a 7-year period were retrieved from three prospective institutional databases and linked with the Italian Tax Register Information System. Mortality at follow-up was analyzed with time-to-event analysis. RESULTS: The Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival at 1 and 5 were, respectively, 95.0% ± 0.2% and 84.7% ± 0.4%. Both discrimination and calibration of EuroSCORE II decreased in the prediction of 1-year and 5-year mortality. Nonetheless, EuroSCORE II was confirmed to be an independent predictor of long-term mortality with a nonlinear trend. Several EuroSCORE II variables were independent risk factors for long-term mortality in a regression model, most of all very low ejection fraction (less than 20%), salvage operation, and dialysis. In the final model, isolated mitral valve surgery and isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery were associated with improved long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: The EuroSCORE II cannot be considered a direct estimator of long-term risk of death, as its performance fades for mortality at follow-up longer than 30 days. Nonetheless, it is nonlinearly associated with long-term mortality, and most of its variables are risk factors for long-term mortality. Hence, they can be used in a different algorithm to stratify the risk of long-term mortality after surgery.

Multifocal granular cell tumor presenting as an esophageal stricture.

INTRODUCTION: Granular cell tumors are uncommonly found in the gastrointestinal tract with slow progression and are usually benign though they may have propensity for malignant transformation. Initially attributed to neuronal origin through immunohistochemistry, there has been controversy with increasing reports of granular cell tumors of non-neural origin. CASE REPORT: We report a case of multifocal granular cell tumor involving the esophagus and stomach in a young female with history of dysphagia for 9 years with worsening symptoms. She had been managed at another facility with repeated dilations for presumed benign peptic stricture. Radial endosonography (EUS) of the proximal end of stricture showed a posterior submucosal esophageal mass that was heterogeneous and invaded into the muscularis propria. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) showed large cells with granular cytoplasm along with spindle nuclei. Cells were initially checked for CD117 stain alone and found to be negative. A follow-up CT-guided core needle biopsy revealed similar granular cells that were positive for S-100. She underwent a two-stage transhiatal esophagogastrectomy as the tumor circumferentially involved the cervical esophagus and was adherent to the trachea and recurrent laryngeal nerve bilaterally. At surgery, there were two additional foci palpable in the proximal stomach. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: As these tumors may have potential for malignant transformation and locoregional invasion, they should be considered while evaluating submucosal lesions of the esophagus even in young patients. A large number of granular cell tumors may be missed in the absence of S-100 staining, which should be requested when granular cells are seen on cytology obtained by EUS FNA as this can be a minimally invasive diagnostic modality for these tumors. Other foci should be sought at surgery as they have a propensity for locoregional spread.

Discharge to home rates are significantly lower for octogenarians undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) performed in elderly patients has been increasing over recent years. We sought to evaluate clinical outcomes of octogenarians undergoing CABG using an audited state-wide mandatory database. METHODS: New York State Department of Health's Cardiac Reporting System was analyzed from 1998 to 2002. In all, 88,154 patients undergoing isolated CABG were identified. Patients were divided into four age groups: less than 50 years (group 1, n = 6,527), 50 to 64 years (group 2, n = 30,088), 65 to 79 years (group 3, n = 43,369), and 80 years and above (group 4, n = 8,170). RESULTS: Of all patients, 9.3% were octogenarians. In addition to marginally worse coronary artery disease, octogenarians generally manifested a higher incidence of preoperative risk factors such as cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and congestive heart failure compared with younger patients at baseline. Both length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality rate were significantly higher among octogenarians. The incidence of postoperative complications was higher among octogenarians. Multivariate analysis demonstrated renal failure requiring dialysis (odds ratio [OR] = 4.4), myocardial infarction within 6 hours before surgery (OR = 3.6), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 1.7), congestive heart failure at admission (OR = 1.7), emergent operation (OR = 1.6), Canadian Cardiovascular Society functional class IV (OR = 1.5), hypertension (OR = 1.4), and low ejection fraction (OR = 0.98) to be significant independent predictors of in-hospital mortality of octogenarians. Discharge to home rates were significantly lower for octogenarians. CONCLUSIONS: Although early outcomes in octogenarians are acceptable, these factors alone are not sufficient to reflect overall success of CABG in these patients, given the strikingly lower discharge to home rates. Attention to full functional recovery in octogenarians is essential.

Predictors and outcomes of continuous veno-venous hemodialysis use after implantation of a left ventricular assist device.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative renal failure is a common complication after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. This study was designed to evaluate predictors and outcomes of acute renal failure after LVAD insertion. METHODS: Two-hundred one patients undergoing LVAD implantation at a single institution from June 1996 through April 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized into 2 groups: those who required post-operative continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD) (Group 1, n = 65, 32.3%) and those who did not (Group 2, n = 136, 67.7%). Independent predictors of post-operative renal failure requiring CVVHD were determined using multivariate logistic regression techniques. RESULTS: Patients who had post-operative renal failure requiring CVVHD were older (53.7 +/- 12.9 vs 48.2 +/- 14.2 years, p = 0.009), had a higher incidence of intra-aortic balloon pump use (46.6% vs 26.2%, p = 0.006), and had a higher pre-operative mean LVAD score (5.8 +/- 3.5 vs 3.8 +/- 3.3, p = 0.001) than those without renal failure. LVAD score was the only independent predictor of post-operative renal failure requiring CVVHD (odds ratio = 1.226, p = 0.006). Sepsis rate was higher (33.3% vs 6.9%, p < 0.001) and bridge-to-transplantation rate was lower (52.4% vs 83.5%, p < 0.001) in Group 1 than in Group 2. Post-LVAD survival rates at 1, 3, 5 and 7 years for Group 1 and Group 2 were 43.2%, 39.1%, 34.7% and 34.7% vs 79.2%, 74.0%, 68.3% and 66.4%, respectively (log rank, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Acute renal failure necessitating CVVHD remains a serious complication after LVAD and confers significant morbidity and mortality. Pre-operative evaluation of patient risk factors and optimization of peri-operative hemodynamics are of utmost importance to prevent this major complication.

The role of Staphylococcus aureus adhesins in the pathogenesis of ventricular assist device-related infections.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are an important form of therapy for end-stage congestive heart failure. However, infection of the VAD, which is often caused by Staphylococcus aureus, poses a major threat to survival. Using a novel in vitro binding assay with VAD membranes and a heterologous lactococcal system of expression, we identify 3 S. aureus proteins--clumping factor A (ClfA) and fibronectin binding proteins A and B (FnBPA and FnBPB) as the main factors involved in adherence to VAD polyurethane membranes. Adherence is greatly diminished by long implantation times, reflecting a change in topological features of the VAD membrane, and is primarily mediated by the FnBPA domains in the staphylococcal proteins. We also compare the adherence of S. aureus mutant strains and show that other staphylococcal components appear to be involved in adherence to VAD membranes. Finally, we demonstrate that ClfA, FnBPA, and FnBPB mediate bacterial infection of implanted murine intra-aortic polyurethane patches.

Direct left ventricle to great cardiac vein retroperfusion: a novel alternative to myocardial revascularization.

BACKGROUND: As the number of patients with diffuse coronary artery disease continues to grow, there is renewed interest in alternative methods of perfusing the ischemic myocardium. We tested the feasibility of myocardial retroperfusion via a direct left ventricle-to-great cardiac vein (LV-GCV) conduit to support regional contractility in this setting. METHODS: LV-GCV flow was established using an extracorporeal circuit in 5 dogs. Left ventricle (LV) pressure, aortic pressure, regional myocardial segment length, and circuit blood flow were measured prior to left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation, following LAD ligation, and after LV-GCV circuit placement. To eliminate backward flow during diastole, an in-line flow regulator was placed. Regional myocardial function was quantified by pressure-segment length loop area divided by end-diastolic segment length (PSLA/EDSL). RESULTS: LAD ligation reduced PSLA/EDSL from 10.0 +/- 1.2 mm Hg mm to 1.6 +/- 0.3 mm Hg mm (P < .05). With LV-GCV retroperfusion, mean peak systolic flow was +152 +/- 14 mL/min, mean peak diastolic flow was -39 +/- 11 mL/min, and net mean flow was +36 +/- 13 mL/min. Regional function recovered to approximately 39% of baseline (3.9 +/- 0.4 mm Hg mm, P < .05). Upon elimination of backflow, mean flow increased to +41 +/- 12 mL/min and regional function recovered even further to approximately 47% of baseline (4.6 +/- 0.7 mm Hg mm, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: A LV-GCV circuit can significantly restore regional function to the acutely ischemic myocardium. An inline valve that eliminates backward diastolic flow improves regional function even further. This approach may provide an effective therapy for diffuse coronary disease not amenable to traditional revascularization strategies.

Right heart failure after left ventricular assist device implantation in patients with chronic congestive heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Right heart failure (RHF) is not an infrequent complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Few studies have examined outcomes for LVAD patients who subsequently develop RHF. This study details one center's experience with RHF in chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. METHODS: One hundred eight patients with chronic CHF (>or=6 months) who underwent HeartMate LVAD implantation were identified during June 1996 to July 2004. Acute heart failure patients requiring LVADs were excluded to eliminate the impact of confounding non-cardiac factors. RHF was defined as the need for a subsequent right ventricular assist device (RVAD), >or=14 days of intravenous inotropes/pulmonary vasodilators, or both. Forty-two (38.9%) RHF patients were identified. Fourteen of these required RVAD insertion. Outcome parameters included early (

Effect of diabetes on short- and long-term outcomes after left ventricular assist device implantation.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a frequent co-morbidity in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Implantation of LVADs is an acceptable option for diabetic patients with end-stage heart failure, yet no previous study has specifically examined the clinical outcomes of this patient population. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on all patients who underwent LVAD insertion at a single institution from June 17, 1996 to April 14, 2004. Patients were divided into 2 groups: diabetics (DM) and non-diabetics (NDM). The groups were compared with regard to demographics, etiology of heart failure, body mass index (BMI), intensive care unit (ICU) stay, early mortality (< or =30 days), bridge-to-transplantation rate and post-LVAD and post-transplant survival. RESULTS: Two hundred one patients were identified. Of these, 49 (24.4%) had DM. Compared with the NDM group, DM patients had a higher mean body mass index (30.1 +/- 6.0 vs 26.1 +/- 4.8, p < 0.001) and a higher proportion of hypertension (57.4% vs 19.7%, p < 0.001). Although post-LVAD survival was similar, post-transplant survival in DM patients was significantly lower compared with NDM patients, with 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year actuarial survival rates of 86.9%, 71.0%, 56.5% and 56.5% vs 90.5%, 88.4%, 83.0% and 80.7% (p = 0.020), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Carefully selected diabetic patients can be successfully bridged to transplantation using LVADs with comparable outcomes to non-diabetic patients. Reasons for diminished post-transplant survival in this cohort are unclear and necessitate the conductance of multi-institutional studies to evaluate outcomes.

Clinical outcomes in patients with chronic congestive heart failure who undergo left ventricular assist device implantation.

OBJECTIVE: The use of left ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation for patients with chronic congestive heart failure is well accepted. However, few studies have examined outcomes solely for these patients. This study details one center's left ventricular assist device experience with this population. METHODS: Two hundred one patients received HeartMate left ventricular assist devices (Thoratec Corp, Pleasanton, Calif) from January 1, 1996, to April 30, 2004. Of these, 119 (59.2%) had chronic congestive heart failure (diagnosis >6 months) as the primary indication. Outcome parameters included early mortality after left ventricular assist device placement (<30 days), bridge-to-transplantation rate, and posttransplantation survival. Variables examined included patient demographic data; preoperative pacemaker, internal defibrillator, and balloon pump use; and preoperative laboratory values. RESULTS: Advanced age, female sex, and diabetes were independent predictors of early death (P = .048, odds ratio 1.879 per 10 years of age, 95% confidence interval 1.005-3.515; P = .002, odds ratio 10.029, 95% confidence interval 2.256-44.583; P = .040, odds ratio 3.974, 95% confidence interval 1.063-14.861). Advanced age, female sex, and low preoperative albumin were independent predictors of poor bridge-to-transplantation rate (P = .029, odds ratio 0.135 per 10 years of age, 95% confidence interval 0.022-0.819; P = .002, odds ratio 0.013, 95% confidence interval 0.001-0.197; P = .023, odds ratio 19.178 per 1 g/dL albumin, 95% confidence interval 1.504-244.598). There were no independent predictors of poor posttransplantation survival and prolonged intensive care unit stay. Overall bridge-to-transplantation rate was 81.5%. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year posttransplantation survivals were 88.4%, 84.5%, 78.4%, and 76.0%. CONCLUSION: Among patients with chronic congestive heart failure, advanced age, female sex, diabetes, and low preoperative albumin predict poor clinical course. Careful risk stratification and comprehensive evaluation by care providers should be performed for candidates who are female, are elderly, and have diabetes, and preoperative nutritional optimization should be encouraged to enhance patient outcomes.

A decade experience of cardiac retransplantation in adult recipients.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac retransplantation is considered to be the best therapeutic option for a failing cardiac allograft. However, poor outcomes with retransplantation have previously been reported, a factor that raises important ethical, logistic and financial issues given the limited organ donor supply. METHODS: Seven hundred sixty-six adult patients underwent cardiac transplantation for end-stage heart failure at our institution from 1992 to 2002. Of these, 41 (5.4%) were retransplants. Variables examined included recipient and donor demographics, indications for retransplant, comorbidities, cytomegalovirus (CMV) serology status, left ventricular assist device use before transplant, donor ischemic time, rate of early mortality (within 30 days), and post-transplantation survival rate. RESULTS: Indications for cardiac retransplant were transplant-related coronary artery disease in 37, acute rejection in 3, and other causes in 1. The mean interval between transplantation and retransplantation was 5.9 +/- 3.4 years. Baseline characteristics such as recipient age, gender, CMV serology status, and donor age were similar in the primary transplant and retransplant groups. Early mortality after transplantation was comparable between the 2 groups, but post-transplant survival was significantly lower in retransplant patients compared with primary transplants with 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year actuarial survival rates of 72.2%, 66.3%, 47.5%, and 40.7% vs. 85.1%, 79.2%, 72.9%, and 66.8%, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac retransplantation offers short-term outcomes similar to primary transplantation but lower long-term survival rates. Non-retransplant surgical options should also be considered in these patients. Careful patient selection and risk-assessment is necessary to govern appropriate allocation of limited donor organs.

Surgical revision after percutaneous mitral valve repair with a clip: initial multicenter experience.

PURPOSE: Almost 50,000 mitral valve operations are performed annually in the United States, with an increasing number of repairs. Recently, a percutaneous mitral valve repair option that achieves edge-to-edge approximation with a clip has been described in patients with mitral regurgitation. DESCRIPTION: We describe 6 patients from three centers with mitral regurgitation after percutaneous repair who underwent reintervention. During open surgical revision, the clips were uneventfully removed in all patients with no limitation in surgical options. Five patients underwent repair and 1 underwent replacement. EVALUATION: After surgical revision, mitral regurgitation was significantly decreased, and all but 1 patient underwent uneventful recovery. One patient developed ilio-femoral deep venous thrombosis that was treated successfully with anticoagulation. CONCLUSIONS: Preserving standard of care options is critical with any evolving technology in the event of initial treatment failure. Standard surgical options were preserved in all of the patients who underwent percutaneous mitral valve edge-to-edge repair. Furthermore, a thorough understanding of the clip design, in particular its unlocking mechanism, is essential and facilitates surgical clip removal.

Left ventricular assist device implantation after acute anterior wall myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock: a two-center study.

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) insertion after anterior wall myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock is an accepted modality of support in select patients. Results of primary revascularization for these patients are poor. We seek to determine the outcomes of patients with myocardial infarction and shock who undergo LVAD insertion alone versus surgical revascularization before LVAD insertion. METHODS: Seventy-four patients at 2 institutions underwent LVAD implantation for myocardial infarction and shock over a 12-year period. Twenty-eight underwent direct LVAD placement, and 46 underwent revascularization through coronary artery bypass grafting before LVAD placement. Variables examined included patient demographics, myocardial infarction-LVAD interval, bridge to transplantation, early mortality (< or = 30 days), survival after LVAD placement, and posttransplantation survivals. RESULTS: There were no differences in demographics between the 2 groups. The group undergoing revascularization before LVAD placement had a lower bridge to transplantation, higher early mortality, and lower overall 6- and 12-month survivals after LVAD placement compared with the group undergoing direct LVAD placement (45.50% vs 70.40%, P = .041; 39.10% vs 14.30%, P = .020; 89.3% and 82.1% vs 54.4% and 52.2%, respectively, P = .006). Posttransplantation survival and LVAD explantation rates were equivalent in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary artery bypass grafting before LVAD insertion for cardiogenic shock complicating myocardial infarction adversely affects survival. Confirmation of these findings would require conducting a large, multicenter, randomized clinical trial comparing revascularization versus LVAD support as primary therapy in this setting.

Intramyocardial left ventricle-to-coronary artery stent: a novel approach for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: The direct intramyocardial left ventricle-to-coronary artery stent may provide an optional minimally invasive technique for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. We seek to test whether blood flow and regional myocardial function improve with this stent in totally ischemic myocardium. METHODS: The stent device was implanted in 8 anesthetized dogs using an open chest approach, arteriotomy of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery, and connection of the vessel to the left ventricular chamber. Regional coronary blood flow and myocardial function were monitored under three conditions: normal coronary flow (baseline), coronary ligation, and stent flow. RESULTS: Left anterior descending coronary ligation markedly reduced coronary artery blood flow and regional myocardial function. With flow solely from the stent, the blood flow pattern changed to one with high peak forward flow during systole compared with baseline (94.8 +/- 48.9 versus 56.8 +/- 21.1 mL/min; p < 0.05) and one with significant negative backflow during diastole compared with baseline (-37.4 +/- 23.1 versus 11.3 +/- 17.2 mL/min; p < 0.05). However, the resultant mean forward flow increased to approximately 50% of baseline compared with less than 5% of baseline after coronary ligation. Regional myocardial function diminished entirely after coronary ligation, but recovered to approximately 60% of baseline with the stent. Normal systemic hemodynamics and global ventricular contractile function were maintained with the stent. CONCLUSIONS: The left ventricle-to-coronary artery stent is a simple and readily deployable device that allows the perfusion of epicardial vessels directly from the left ventricle and can provide significant blood flow to improve the performance of ischemic myocardium. It may provide an effective, alternative means of treating coronary artery disease when standard coronary artery bypass graft surgery is not suitable.

Simplified placement of multiple artificial mitral valve chords.

BACKGROUND: The use of artificial chords for the replacement of diseased mitral valve chordae and the correction of anterior and posterior leaflet prolapse is well described, although it is infrequently applied because of technical challenges. METHODS: A simplified approach to attaching the new chords to a single papillary muscle base within the left ventricle has been reported, and we present a series of 13 patients with moderate-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) who underwent chordal replacement using this improved technique. RESULTS: The MR grade by echocardiogram improved from 3.7 +/- 0.4 preoperatively to 1.0 +/- 0.8 postoperatively. All patients were doing well at a mean follow-up interval of 285 +/- 62 days. CONCLUSION: Chordal replacement for both anterior and posterior leaflet prolapse is an effective treatment for MR when combined with standard mitral valve repair techniques. The authors' technique of determining proper chordal height and placing multiple chordae is also discussed.

Advances in heart failure surgery.

Heart failure is a major public health problem in the USA and in most Western countries. Nearly 5 million patients in the USA have heart failure with approximately 500,000 patients being diagnosed for the first time each year. Medical therapy is the first-line treatment, and surgery is considered when medical therapy fails or a clear mechanical cause of heart failure is identified and deemed correctable. Current surgical options include coronary revascularization, surgical correction of mitral regurgitation, left ventricular reconstruction, transmyocardial laser revascularization, ventricular assist devices, passive ventricular restraint devices, and cardiac transplantation. While a full discussion of cardiac transplantation is beyond the scope of this article, the other commonly performed procedures will be reviewed.

Perioperative pharmacotherapy in patients with left ventricular assist devices.

Heart failure remains the leading cause of death in Western countries, affecting 4.9 million individuals and causing >300 000 deaths annually in the US alone. The disease is highly prevalent in the elderly population and often follows a course of progressive disability and deterioration. An estimated 15 000 patients with end-stage heart failure could benefit from heart transplant each year. Yet, as a result of a significant shortage of donor organs, only 2500 hearts are donated annually, and approximately one-third of patients awaiting heart transplant die each year. Mechanical circulatory support, primarily in the form of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), has come to the forefront of treatment for severe congestive heart failure by providing a feasible alternative to patients who might otherwise die awaiting heart transplant. The arrival of LVADs has resulted in a dramatic shift in the management of heart failure, one that will undoubtedly affect and include a vast proportion of elderly patients. While LVADs represent a surgical approach to a disease that has traditionally been managed medically, the pharmacological application throughout the perioperative period remains of critical importance. Five primary classes of drugs bear specific application to the LVAD population: (i) drugs that provide haemodynamic support; (ii) antimicrobials; (iii) anticoagulants and antiplatelets; (iv) agents that promote myocardial recovery; and (v) miscellaneous other medications. Drugs that provide haemodynamic support are subdivided into inotropes, vasopressors and pulmonary vasodilators. Some combination of these medications is usually administered within the perioperative period in order to maintain stable patient haemodynamics and assure proper LVAD function. Antimicrobials are of paramount importance in the pre-, intra- and postoperative periods to minimise the risk of infection, an unfortunately common complication of LVAD therapy that can have potentially morbid consequences. Anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications are necessary for certain types of LVADs and serve to curb the incidence of device thrombus formation and associated embolic phenomena. Pharmacotherapeutic agents that facilitate myocardial recovery are being investigated as adjuncts to LVAD support so that bridge to recovery can become a realistic outcome for a growing number of LVAD patients. The miscellaneous class of medications used with LVADs includes those that minimise the risk of bleeding in select patients and those that enhance proper vitamin and nutrient status in the postoperative period, the attainment of which may serve vital to a successful recovery.