title: Transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices.
abstract: An increasing number of patients are implanted with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) for the treatment of severe congestive heart failure. In parallel with this growing experience has been an increase in knowledge of how these devices alter cardiac physiology and the important implications this has for cardiac function. Echocardiography offers the ability to provide serial noninvasive evaluation before and after LVAD implantation to document these changes, guide management decisions, and identify LVAD dysfunction. The authors detail a comprehensive assessment of LVAD function by transthoracic echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. rrasalin@dom.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rasalingam
authors.forename: Stephanie N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Kyle R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Bilhorn
authors.forename: Pei-Hsiu
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Majesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makan
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moazami
authors.forename: Julio E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pérez
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000379:methods; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*