Laterality of Cerebral Artery Hemodynamics in Continuous-Flow LVAD Patients: A Pilot Study in Relation to Stroke

A predominance of ischemic stroke in the right hemisphere among patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support has been noted. The reasons for this clinical presentation are unknown, though others have hypothesized greater blood flow to the right common carotid artery. Since arterial pulsatility and blood velocity (as a surrogate for flow) have been associated with cerebrovascular complications, we hypothesized that significant differences in the pulsatility and/or Vmax of the left and right middle cerebral artery may be present in LVAD patients.

Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - March 31, 2018 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: E.J. St öhr, A. Gaudig, A. Pinsino, F. Castagna, P.C. Colombo, M. Yuzefspolskaya, A.R. Garan, V.K. Topkara, H. Takayama, K. Takeda, Y. Naka, J.R. Cockroft, B.J. McDonnell, J.Z. Willey Source Type: research