Twelfth Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support Report: Readmissions after LVAD

Ann Thorac Surg. 2022 Jan 7:S0003-4975(22)00007-8. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.12.011. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe twelfth annual report from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (Intermacs) highlights outcomes for 26,688 continuous-flow LVAD patients over the past decade (2011-2020). In 2020, we observed the largest drop in yearly LVAD implant volumes since the registry's inception, which reflects the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac surgical volumes in the United States. The 2018 heart transplant allocation policy change in the U.S. continues to affect LVAD implantation volumes and device strategy, with 78.1% of patients now implanted as destination therapy. Despite an older and sicker patient cohort, survival in the recent era (2016-2020) at one- and two-years continues to improve at 82.8% and 74.1%. Patient adverse event profile has also improved in the recent era, with significant reductions in stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, infection, and device malfunction/pump thrombosis. Finally, we review the burden of readmissions after LVAD implant and highlight an opportunity to improve patient outcomes by reducing this frequent and vexing problem.PMID:35007505 | DOI:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.12.011

Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery - January 10, 2022 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Palak Shah Melana Yuzefpolskaya Gavin W Hickey Khadijah Breathett Omar Wever-Pinzon Van Khue-Ton William Hiesinger Devin Koehl James K Kirklin Ryan S Cantor Jeffrey P Jacobs Robert H Habib Francis D Pagani Daniel J Goldstein Source Type: research