Article
Cell Biology
Tiago Granja, Harry Magunia, Patricia Schuessel, Claudius Fischer, Thomas Pruefer, David Schibilsky, Lina Serna-Higuita, Hans Peter Wendel, Christian Schlensak, Helene Haeberle, Peter Rosenberger, Andreas Straub
Summary: Blood flow through left ventricular assist devices may lead to platelet activation and dysfunction, causing inflammatory tissue damage. This observational study investigated patients undergoing LVAD implantation and control patients undergoing CABG/AVR surgery. The study found that LVAD implantation is associated with platelet dysfunction and proinflammatory platelet-leukocyte binding, with less pronounced changes observed in patients treated with the newer generation LVAD HM3.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Andrew S. Baird, Jocelyn S. Thompson, Monica D. Fitzgerald, Bridget S. Mosley, Daniel D. Matlock, Larry A. Allen, Colleen K. Mcllvennan
Summary: This study aimed to assess national practices regarding caregiver burden assessment and found that most LVAD programs conducted caregiver burden assessment, but only a small percentage used validated assessment tools. Future research should focus on standardizing caregiver burden assessment and studying how the level of burden impacts patient and caregiver outcomes.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Rashmi Jain, Marlena V. Habal, Kevin J. Clerkin, Farhana Latif, Susan W. Restaino, Emmanuel Zorn, Koji Takeda, Yoshifumi Naka, Melana Yuzefpolskaya, Maryjane A. Farr, Paolo C. Colombo, Gabriel T. Sayer, Nir Uriel, Veli K. Topkara
Summary: This study found that HM3 is associated with a lower risk of de novo HLA sensitization compared with HMII, which has important clinical implications for patients with left ventricular assist devices.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Luise Roehrich, Simon H. Suendermann, Isabell Anna Just, Laurenz Kopp Fernandes, Julia Stein, Natalia Solowjowa, Johanna Mulzer, Marcus Mueller, Manfred Hummel, Jan Knierim, Evgenij Potapov, Volkmar Falk, Felix Schoenrath
Summary: This study compared the feasibility and prognostic impact of different assessment tools in patients undergoing continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (cf-LVAD) implantation. The study found that bioelectrical impedance analysis parameters and CT measurements were suitable to predict 6-month mortality and/or prolonged ventilation time >95 h in patients with advanced heart failure.
Article
Immunology
Michael Khoury, Tara Pidborochynski, Anne Halpin, Patricia Campbell, Simon Urschel, Daniel Kim, Lori West, Holger Buchholz, Jennifer Conway
Summary: The study evaluated the prevalence of HLA antibody sampling pre-and post-VAD placement and communication of VAD status to the HLA laboratory. Results showed discrepancies in the rate of HLA antibody sampling within 1 month pre-and post-VAD placement, as well as inconsistencies in communication with the HLA laboratory regarding VAD status.
TRANSPLANTATION PROCEEDINGS
(2021)
Article
Hematology
Kristin Klaeske, Maja-Theresa Dieterlen, Sandra Eifert, Ute Scholz, Jens Garbade, Khalil Jawad, Franz Sieg, Michael A. Borger, Anna L. Meyer
Summary: This study compared platelet receptor expression patterns and oxidative stress levels between LVAD patients with non-surgical bleeding (NSB) and those without coagulation disorders. The findings suggested that changes in three platelet receptors (GPIb alpha, P-selectin, and PECAM-1) and elevated oxidative stress may play a role in bleeding complications following LVAD implantation.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Christoph Knosalla, Pia Lanmueller, Christoph Starck, Natalia Solowjowa, Volkmar Falk, Evgenij Potapov
Summary: For patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular aneurysm formation, determining the optimal treatment among surgical ventricular reconstruction, heart transplantation, or left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is challenging. This report introduces the concept of surgical ventricular reconstruction with a specially prepared LVAD fixation ring for facilitating future LVAD implantation if needed.
ANNALS OF THORACIC SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Khalil Jawad, Firat Sipahi, Alex Koziarz, Simone Huhn, Nikos Kalampokas, Alexander Albert, Michael A. Borger, Artur Lichtenberg, Diyar Saeed
Summary: The implantation approach for left ventricular assist devices affects postoperative complications and mortality. Less-invasive surgery is associated with a significant reduction in postoperative bleeding complications and duration of hospital stay.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jonas Pausch, Oliver Bhadra, Julian Mersmann, Lenard Conradi, Bjoern Sill, Markus J. Barten, Hermann Reichenspurner, Alexander M. Bernhardt
Summary: The study found that preoperative uncorrected functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) prior to left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation does not affect overall survival, but is associated with impaired right ventricular function and increased incidence of postoperative right heart failure. Furthermore, preoperative FMR >= 2 is associated with persistent symptoms of heart failure.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Sumant P. Radhoe, Jesse F. Veenis, Nina Jakus, Philippe Timmermans, Anne-Catherine Pouleur, Pawel Rubis, Emeline M. Van Craenenbroeck, Edvinas Gaizauskas, Eduardo Barge-Caballero, Stefania Paolillo, Sebastian Grundmann, Domenico D'Amario, Oscar O. Braun, Aggeliki Gkouziouta, Ivo Planinc, Jure Samardzic, Bart Meyns, Walter Droogne, Karol Wierzbicki, Katarzyna Holcman, Andreas J. Flammer, Hrvoje Gasparovic, Bojan Biocina, Lars H. Lund, Davor Milicic, Frank Ruschitzka, Maja Cikes, Jasper J. Brugts
Summary: The study found that older LVAD recipients have higher mortality and bleeding risks after implantation. However, these patients have lower risks of device-related infections.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Andrew N. Rosenbaum, Bradley W. Ternus, Siddharth Pahwa, John M. Stulak, Alfredo L. Clavell, Sarah D. Schettle, Atta Behfar, Jacob C. Jentzer
Summary: In patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation, right ventricular stroke work index, right heart catheterization, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and ultrafiltration are strongly associated with incident INT-LD and decreased 1-year survival. Optimization of these factors may reduce the risk of liver dysfunction but further validation is needed.
ANNALS OF THORACIC SURGERY
(2021)
Review
Respiratory System
Ameen Al-Naamani, Florian Fahr, Asim Khan, Christian Bireta, Michael Nozdrzykowski, Stefan Feder, Nikhil Deshmukh, Manal Jubeh, Sandra Eifert, Khalil Jawad, Uwe Schulz, Michael A. Borger, Diyar Saeed
Summary: Durable mechanical circulatory support systems are established therapy in end-stage heart failure patients, with LVADs traditionally implanted through median sternotomy. Recent improvements in pump designs have led to the development of new surgical approaches aiming to reduce invasiveness. Less invasive LVAD implant strategies focus on minimizing surgical trauma and avoiding cardio-pulmonary bypass complications.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kristin Klaeske, Eva Katharina Messer, Sara Klein, Franz Sieg, Sandra Eifert, Josephina Haunschild, Khalil Jawad, Diyar Saeed, Alexey Dashkevich, Michael A. Borger, Maja-Theresa Dieterlen
Summary: This study investigated the changes of immunological parameters in relation to BMI during the first year after LVAD implantation. The results showed that obese patients had higher proportions of overall DCs and lower proportions of BDCA3(+) myeloid DCs and BDCA4(+) plasmacytoid DCs compared to normal-weight patients. The study also found increased proportions of CD4(+) T cells and decreased proportions of CD8(+) T cells and T-regs in obese patients. These immunological changes might increase the risk of postoperative infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Carl P. Walther, Julia S. Benoit, Harveen K. Lamba, Andrew B. Civitello, Kevin F. Erickson, Nandan K. Mondal, Kenneth K. Liao, Sankar D. Navaneethan
Summary: This study aimed to assess the different trajectories of kidney function following LVAD placement. The researchers identified five eGFR trajectory groups, two of which were similar to previously reported trajectories, and three were novel. These groups differed in baseline characteristics and outcomes. The findings suggest the presence of distinct cardiorenal processes in LVAD recipients.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yukiharu Sugimura, Shintaro Katahira, Hug Aubin, Udo Boeken, Artur Lichtenberg, Payam Akhyari
Summary: The Furoshiki technique involves double wrapping of the LVAD during the primary less invasive implantation, which can effectively reduce device-related adhesions during heart transplantation and improve surgical outcomes.
ANNALS OF THORACIC SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Anjan Tibrewala, Kiran K. Khush, Wida S. Cherikh, Julia Foutz, Josef Stehlik, Jonathan D. Rich
Summary: Acute renal failure (ARF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are associated with morbidity and mortality following heart transplantation (HT). This study found that patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) have a higher incidence of ARF and CKD after HT compared to non-LVAD patients, but the incidence of CKD is similar by 3 years. Risk factors for ARF in LVAD patients include high body mass index (BMI), low baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and long ischemic time. Risk factors for CKD in LVAD patients include high BMI, low baseline eGFR, pre-HT diabetes mellitus, and post-HT dialysis before discharge. These findings can help identify LVAD patients at risk for ARF and CKD after HT.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Benjamin A. Steinberg, Mingyuan Zhang, Jason Bensch, Ann Lyons, T. Jared Bunch, Jonathan P. Piccini, Alfonso Siu, John A. Spertus, Josef Stehlik, Peter Wohlfahrt, Tom Greene, Rachel Hess, James C. Fang
Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently complicates heart failure (HF) and is associated with lower health-related quality of life. This study aimed to quantify the incremental burden of AF on the health-related quality of life of HF patients. The results showed that HF patients with AF had worse disease-specific and overall health-related quality of life compared to those with HF alone.
JOURNAL OF CARDIAC FAILURE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Thomas M. Cascino, Josef Stehlik, Wida S. Cherikh, Yulin Cheng, Tessa M. F. Watt, Alexander A. Brescia, Michael P. Thompson, Jeffrey S. McCullough, Min Zhang, Supriya Shore, Jessica R. Golbus, Francis D. Pagani, Donald S. Likosky, Keith D. Aaronson
Summary: The United States National Organ Procurement Transplant Network implemented changes to improve access to heart transplantation for high-risk patients through the use of short-term mechanical circulatory support. The study found that the use of mechanical circulatory support increased after the policy changes, but there was also an increase in variability between different medical centers.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Maryjane Farr, Josef Stehlik
Article
Immunology
Jose Nativi-Nicolau, Josef Stehlik, Aaron J. Kelkhoff, Brian Khong, Crystal M. Truax, Monica P. Revelo, Edward Michael Gilbert, Stavros Drakos, Omar Wever-Pinzon, James Fang, Anna Catino, Hung T. Khong
Summary: This article reports a fatal rejection in a heart transplant recipient treated with pembrolizumab for metastatic melanoma, highlighting the limited experience and potential risks of immunosuppressed patients receiving checkpoint inhibitors.
TRANSPLANTATION PROCEEDINGS
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Chris J. Kapelios, Lars H. Lund, Omar Wever-Pinzon, Craig H. Selzman, Susan L. Myers, Ryan S. Cantor, Josef Stehlik, Themistocles Chamogeorgakis, Stephen H. McKellar, Antigone Koliopoulou, Rami Alharethi, Abdallah G. Kfoury, Michael Bonios, Stamatis Adamopoulos, Edward M. Gilbert, James C. Fang, James K. Kirklin, Stavros G. Drakos
Summary: Right heart failure (RHF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a common and frequently transient condition, with de novo, late RHF (>6 months) being more frequently a persistent disorder associated with increased mortality. Several risk factors, such as higher preimplant blood urea nitrogen levels, previous tricuspid valve repair/replacement, severely depressed right ventricular systolic function, and centrifugal LVAD, are associated with an increased incidence of RHF. Patients with persistent RHF at 3 months have the lowest 2-year survival, while patients with de novo RHF or RHF that resolves by 3 months have more favorable survival outcomes.
CIRCULATION-HEART FAILURE
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Natasha Aleksova, Chun-Po S. Fan, Farid Foroutan, Yas Moayedi, Juan Duero Posada, Caroline McGuinty, Adriana Luk, Josef Stehlik, Heather J. Ross, Ana C. Alba
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of size matching using actual heart mass and ideal heart mass on mortality and risk assessment in the obese population. The results showed that undersizing based on actual heart mass was associated with higher mortality rates, while no such association was observed with ideal heart mass.
CLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Michael O. Harhay, Wida S. Cherikh, Alice E. Toll, Jason D. Christie, Josef Stehlik, Daniel Chambers, Don Hayes Jr, Edward Cantu
Summary: Lung retransplantation is a complex surgical decision that represents the only potential treatment option for recipients suffering from lung allograft failure. This study examined the modern landscape of lung retransplantation and found that the duration of time since the primary lung transplant was the strongest prognostic factor for 1-year mortality in retransplant recipients.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Thomas C. Hanff, Adeline Browne, Jacqueline Dickey, Holly Gaines, Michael O. Harhay, Matt Goodwin, Craig H. Selzman, James C. Fang, Stavros G. Drakos, Josef Stehlik
Summary: Among Status 2 patients for heart transplantation, those supported with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) had lower risk of waitlist mortality compared to patients with ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF), right-or-biventricular assist device configurations, or temporary surgical left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yasbanoo Moayedi, Eduard Rodenas-Alesina, Brigitte Mueller, Chun-Po S. Fan, Wida S. Cherikh, Josef Stehlik, Jeffrey J. Teuteberg, Heather J. Ross, Kiran K. Khush
Summary: European heart transplantation centers are more likely to accept higher-risk donor hearts than North American centers. The acceptance of higher-risk donor hearts is associated with higher survival rates in European centers.
CIRCULATION-HEART FAILURE
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Nicholas Rodgers, Bryn Gerding, Vincenzo Cusi, Florin Vaida, Yuko Tada, Gerald P. Morris, Eric D. Adler, Josef Stehlik, Paul J. Kim
Summary: This study compared the accuracy of two commercially available dd-cfDNA and gene-expression profiling (GEP) testing in detecting acute rejection (AR) in heart transplant recipients. The results showed that both standard and expanded SNP tests had low sensitivity but high specificity for AR, while GEP testing had worse specificity. Therefore, dd-cfDNA testing can be used as an alternative to GEP testing, with improved specificity without changing sensitivity.
CLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Elizabeth A. Hahn, Larry A. Allen, Christopher S. Lee, Quin E. Denfeld, Josef Stehlik, David Cella, Joann Lindenfeld, Jeffrey J. Teuteberg, Colleen K. Mcilvennan, Michael S. Kiernan, David G. Beiser, Mary N. Walsh, Eric D. Adler, Bernice Ruo, James K. Kirklin, Liviu Klein, Katy Bedjeti, Peter D. Cummings, James L. Burns, Alyssa M. Vela, Kathleen L. Grady
Summary: This study found that patients who received a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) experienced significant improvements in their physical, mental, and social health. These improvements were most pronounced in the first 3 months post-implantation.
JOURNAL OF CARDIAC FAILURE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bjorn Linse, Mattias Ohlsson, Joseph Stehlik, Lars H. Lund, Bodil Andersson, Johan Nilsson
Summary: This study developed a model for predicting short-term mortality due to primary graft failure after heart transplantation using the ISHLT Heart Transplant Registry. The model identified underlying HF diagnosis, ischemia time, and sex as the most influential risk factors for PGF.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Ana C. Alba, James K. Kirklin, Ryan S. Cantor, Luqin Deng, Heather J. Ross, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Vivek Rao, Thomas C. Hanff, Josef Stehlik
Summary: This study compares the mortality outcomes of LVAD-bridged strategy and no LVAD in patients listed for heart transplant and post-transplant based on body mass index (BMI). The results show that LVAD-bridged candidates with obesity have a higher waitlist mortality compared to non-bridged candidates with obesity. Post-transplant mortality is similar in both LVAD-bridged and non-bridged patients, but obesity remains associated with increased mortality in both groups.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Christos P. Kyriakopoulos, Benjamin D. Horne, Konstantinos Sideris, Iosif Taleb, Rachel J. Griffin, Eric Sheffield, Rami Alharethi, Thomas C. Hanff, Josef Stehlik, Craig H. Selzman, Stavros G. Drakos
Summary: By unloading the failing heart, LVADs create a favorable environment for reversing adverse cardiac changes. Improved native LV function may contribute to the risk of LVAD thrombosis. Our study found that LV functional improvement is associated with a lower risk of device thrombosis, whereas the risks of cerebrovascular accident and hemolysis were similar across LVAD LV function subgroups.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)