Relapsing low-flow alarms due to suboptimal alignment of the left ventricular assist device inflow cannula.
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg
; 62(4)2022 09 02.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36111410
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
This retrospective study investigated the correlation between the angular position of the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) inflow cannula and relapsing low-flow alarms.METHODS:
Medical charts were reviewed of all patients with HeartMate 3 LVAD support for relapsing low-flow alarms. A standardized protocol was created to measure the angular position with a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan. Statistics were done using a gamma frailty model with a constant rate function.RESULTS:
For this analysis, 48 LVAD-supported patients were included. The majority of the patients were male (79%) with a median age of 57 years and a median follow-up of 30 months (interquartile range 19-41). Low-flow alarm(s) were experienced in 30 (63%) patients. Angulation towards the septal-lateral plane showed a significant increase in low-flow alarms over time with a constant rate function of 0.031 increase in low-flow alarms per month of follow-up per increasing degree of angulation (P = 0.048). When dividing this group using an optimal cut-off point, a significant increase in low-flow alarms was observed when the septal-lateral angulation was 28° or more (P = 0.001). Anterior-posterior and maximal inflow cannula angulation did not show a significant difference.CONCLUSIONS:
This study showed an increasing number of low-flow alarms when the degrees of LVAD inflow cannula expand towards the septal-lateral plane. This emphasizes the importance of the LVAD inflow cannula angular position to prevent relapsing low-flow alarms with the risk of diminished quality of life and morbidity.Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Heart-Assist Devices
Type of study:
Observational_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Year:
2022
Type:
Article