title: Left ventricular assist devices and gastrointestinal evaluation: Results of a consecutive case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the benefit of preoperative gastrointestinal endoscopic evaluation in patients undergoing continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) implantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A retrospective review of all fifty-three patients undergoing CF-LVADs at West-German Heart and Vascular Center, University of Duisburg-Essen was performed. A routine preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed in seven patients to assess gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. None of the patients had GI bleeding at the time. All patients received HeartWare CF-LVAD (HVAD, HeartWare Inc., Framingham, MA, USA). Six of the patients had relevant endoscopic findings and received therapy accordingly. None of these patients developed GI bleeding in the first 30days after CF-LVAD implantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative GI evaluation in patients undergoing elective CF-LVAD implantation might be beneficial in reducing GI bleeding postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, West-German Heart and Vascular Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse, 55, Essen, Germany; Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Contilia Heart and Vascular Center, Elisabeth Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany. Electronic address: sultan.otb@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alotaibi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, West-German Heart and Vascular Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse, 55, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Raimund
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erbel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, West-German Heart and Vascular Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse, 55, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neumann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Bleeding; Gastritis; Helicobacter pylori; Left ventricular assist device