Unexpected Restart Failure of Durable Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Report of Two Cases.
Hyo Won SeoGa Hee JeongSung Min KimMinjung BakDarea KimJin Oh ChoiKiick SungYang Hyun ChoPublished in: Journal of chest surgery (2024)
The HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) was widely used for mechanical circulatory support in patients with end-stage heart failure. However, there have been reports of a critical issue with HVAD pumps failing to restart, or experiencing delays in restarting, after being stopped. This case report describes 2 instances of HVAD failure-to-restart during heart transplantation surgery and routine outpatient care. Despite multiple attempts to restart the pump using various controllers and extensions, the HVAD failed to restart, triggering a hazard alarm for pump stoppage. In one case, the patient survived after receiving a heart transplantation, while in the other, the patient died immediately following the controller exchange. These cases highlight the rare but life-threatening complication of HVAD failure-to-restart, underscoring the importance of awareness among clinicians, patients, and caregivers, and adherence to the manufacturer's guidelines and recommendations for HVAD management.
Keyphrases
- case report
- heart failure
- left ventricular
- palliative care
- end stage renal disease
- clinical practice
- ejection fraction
- healthcare
- chronic kidney disease
- newly diagnosed
- peritoneal dialysis
- minimally invasive
- cardiac resynchronization therapy
- type diabetes
- prognostic factors
- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- mitral valve
- quality improvement
- aortic stenosis
- adipose tissue
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- coronary artery bypass
- chronic pain
- pain management
- coronary artery disease
- acute heart failure
- skeletal muscle
- transcatheter aortic valve replacement