title: Late aortic insufficiency related to poor prognosis during left ventricular assist device support.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of native aortic insufficiency (AI) during left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support is challenging. We investigated the occurrence of de novo AI during long-term LVAD support to identify its effect on late clinical and echocardiographic outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Left ventricular assist devices were implanted in 99 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, of whom 47 without preoperative AI were investigated using serial echocardiography examinations for more than 1 year after the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean duration of LVAD support was 838±327 days, and 26 patients (55%) were supported for more than 2 years. Twenty-nine patients (62%) had no AI (group A), whereas de novo AI developed in the remaining 18 (38%; group B) at 1 year after LVAD implantation (≥grade 2 in 5, grade 1 in 13). The LV end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced after LVAD implantation in both groups, with no significant difference between them. Overall survival was better in group A (p=0.0195). Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative mitral regurgitation of more than grade 2 (odds ratio, 7.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 48.6; p=0.028) and an aortic valve that remained closed at 1 month after implantation (odds ratio, 6.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 43.9; p=0.048) were significant independent predictors of de novo AI at 1 year after LVAD implantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survival was significantly worse when de novo AI developed in patients during long-term LVAD. Our findings indicate that preoperative functional mitral regurgitation and postoperative aortic valve opening are related to the progression of AI during long-term LVAD support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan. ktoda2002@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Keitaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Domae
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimahara
authors.forename: Junjiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakatani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors