Intravenous Bevacizumab as a Novel Treatment for Refractory Left Ventricular Assist Device-Related Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding remains a major cause of readmission after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, occurring in 17% to 40% of patients.1 The recurrent and prolonged hospitalizations associated with GI bleeding, including repeat endoscopies and blood transfusions, adversely affect quality of life. Gastrointestinal angiodysplasia (GIAD) remains the main cause of bleeding in LVAD patients, accounting for at least one third of cases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to be highly expressed in intestinal angiodysplasias and to be directly involved in the pathogenesis of GIAD2.

Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - February 23, 2020 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Rabea Asleh, Hasan Ahmad Hasan Albitar, Sarah D. Schettle, Sudhir S. Kushwaha, Naveen L. Pereira, Atta Behfar, John M. Stulak, Richard J. Rodeheffer, Vivek N. Iyer Tags: Research Correspondence Source Type: research