title: Patient selection for assist devices: bridge to transplant.
abstract: Patients in severely progressed states of heart failure can be bridged to successful heart transplantation with mechanical assist devices. Experience has demonstrated that patient selection and timing of device implantation are crucial for obtaining acceptable results when using this expensive technology. The degree of irreversible secondary organ dysfunction before re-establishing adequate cardiac output determines the chance of reaching transplantation. Patients who recover during support from all sequelae of end stage heart failure have an excellent outcome after heart transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, Houston, Texas, USA. mloebe@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loebe
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Koerner
authors.forename: Javier A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lafuente
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Noon
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection