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Twelfth Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support Report: Readmissions after LVAD. The Annals of thoracic surgery Shah, P., Yuzefpolskaya, M., Hickey, G. W., Breathett, K., Wever-Pinzon, O., Khue-Ton, V., Hiesinger, W., Koehl, D., Kirklin, J. K., Cantor, R. S., Jacobs, J. P., Habib, R. H., Pagani, F. D., Goldstein, D. J. 1800

Abstract

The 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.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.12.011

View details for PubMedID 35007505