title: Left ventricular assist devices as bridge to heart transplantation in congestive heart failure with pulmonary hypertension.
abstract: Severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been considered a significant contraindication to cardiac transplantation. Ongoing clinical experience, however, has shown that temporary support using left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) in these patients can result in significant reductions in PH. A comprehensive review of the available literature regarding the use of LVADs in heart failure patients with PH was conducted. The existing literature to date supports the use of LVADs in heart failure patients with PH and demonstrates that significant reductions in PH in these patients can be achieved. This subsequently allows for safe and effective cardiac transplantation in patients who were previously excluded from this modality. For heart failure patients with severe PH, the use of LVADs can provide significant benefits by significantly reducing PH and allowing subsequent staged transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Haissam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Wael
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elabbassi
authors.forename: Sherif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moustafa
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mesana
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hendry
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Masters
authors.forename: Tofy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mussivand
mesh_terms: D006333:Heart Failure / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery