Twisting of HeartMate II outflow graft 2.5 years after implantation-HM2 is still ongoing.
Hiroaki SakamotoHideyuki KatoToru TsukadaBryan J MathisYuji HiramatsuPublished in: Journal of artificial organs : the official journal of the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs (2023)
A 47-year-old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy underwent HeartMate II (HM2) implantation as a bridge-to-transplantation. Her postoperative course was good. However, 2.5 years after surgery, the outflow graft was found to be twisted and the graft and pump was exchanged. While HeartMate 3(HM3) twisting of the outflow graft is well documented, such malfunctions in HM2 are almost unknown. Although HM2 has since been discontinued, there are a significant number of patients using HM2 who are awaiting heart transplants or destination therapy. We caution that, even with HM2, the possibility of late-phase twisting requires vigilance.