title: Left Ventricular Assist Device Results: Single Center Experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The number of patients with end-stage cardiac failure who are waiting for transplant has been increasing, although number of heart donations stays limited. This has resulted in an increased use of left ventricular assist devices. Here, we present results of patients who received left ventricular assist device implants at Baskent University Ankara Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 24 patients who received a HeartWare left ventricular assist device (HeartWare Inc, Framingham, MA, USA) between April 2012 and February 2015; 2 patients (8.33%) were female.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had end-stage heart failure as a result of the following causes: 11 patients (45%) had ischemic cardiomyopathy, 12 patients (50%) had dilated cardiomyopathy, and 1 patient (4.1%) had acute myocarditis. Regarding use of the left ventricular assist device, 10 patients (41.6%) had the device as destination therapy, and the remaining 14 patients (48.6%) had it as bridge to transplant. The Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support Profile was 1 for 3 patients (12.5%), 2 for 9 patients (37.5%), and 3 for 12 patients (50%). Mean follow-up was 239.8 days, and the mortality rate was 33.3% (8 patients died). During follow-up, we found that 3 patients (12.5%) had received a heart transplant and 1 patient (4.1%) eventually recovered, with the device extracted. Six patients had driveline infections, and 3 patients had cerebrovascular events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the insufficient number of cardiac donors, use of a left ventricular assist device for patients with end-stage cardiac failure who are awaiting transplant may be the best option.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey 06490.
authors.forename: Bahadir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gultekin
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ersoy
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akkaya
authors.forename: Sevi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Umaroglu
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sezgin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D014850:Waiting Lists / Q000401:mortality