title: Outcome of noncardiac surgery in patients with ventricular assist devices.
abstract: An increasing number of patients are living with ventricular assist devices (VADs). Many of these patients will require noncardiac surgery for conditions not directly related to their VADs. The aim of this study was to assess the risks and outcomes of noncardiac surgery in these patients. Perioperative and follow-up data from patients with VADs who underwent noncardiac surgery from 1993 to 2006 were analyzed. In that period, 184 VADs were implanted in 155 patients. Thirty-seven patients (24%) subsequently underwent 59 noncardiac surgeries. The mean duration of VAD support before surgery was 229 days. Bleeding was the most common postsurgical complication (10%), necessitating reexploration in 20% of abdominal surgeries. Thirty-day mortality was 12%. No deaths were caused by direct complications of surgery. Successful transplantation occurred in 72% of bridge to transplantation patients who required noncardiac surgery, compared with 71% of these patients who did not require noncardiac surgery (relative risk 1.0, p = 0.9). The average duration of VAD support after noncardiac surgery for destination therapy patients was 324 days, most of which time was spent at home. In conclusion, outcomes after noncardiac surgery in patients with VADs are favorable, and most patients continue to benefit from the intended purpose of mechanical circulatory support after recovering from noncardiac surgery.
authors.affiliation: VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Cardiology Division, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stehlik
authors.forename: Devin M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Abdallah G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kfoury
authors.forename: Bruce B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Clayson
authors.forename: Karl E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Brent J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Dale G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Renlund
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Movsesian
authors.forename: Cris G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Cowley
authors.forename: Hildegard K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Brad Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Rasmusson
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Long
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome