title: Evaluating heart failure after implantation of mechanical circulatory support devices.
abstract: The medical community has seen an explosive rise in the utilization of implantable mechanical circulatory support devices for late-stage cardiomyopathy. Care for these complex patients requires a basic understanding of device physiology and potential complications. This review focuses on an algorithm that incorporates a careful clinical history and examination with diagnostic modalities for the evaluation of a patient who is failing therapy with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device, as well as the general management and optimization of patients implanted with an artificial heart.
authors.affiliation: The Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. kshah@mcvh-vcu.edu
authors.forename: Keyur B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kontos
authors.forename: Neil P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Gundars J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Katlaps
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Vigneshwar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kasirajan
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans