title: HeartMate-II left ventricular assist device infections resulting from gastrointestinal-tract fistulas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), pump-related infection can cause adverse effects that may result in death.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe three patients who had infections related to a fistula between the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the LVAD pocket and who subsequently underwent successful heart transplantation without developing sepsis. In no case did the LVAD-related infection adversely affect the outcome of transplantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For detecting the fistulas, full upper-GI endoscopy and colonoscopy were superior to other types of diagnostic imaging studies.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cardiac Support, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Mehmet H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Akay
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gregoric
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Frazier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005747:Gastric Fistula / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome