title: Caregiver status and outcomes after durable left ventricular assist device implantation.
abstract: To determine the relationship between caregiver status and outcomes after durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.
  
  
  
  The absence of a caregiver is a relative contraindication to durable LVAD support.
  
  
  
  Forty-three patients that underwent primary LVAD implantation were divided into three groups: those with caregivers that retained their roles for the duration of LVAD support (CG group), those with caregivers that resigned their roles (CG-QUIT group), and those implanted without an assigned caregiver (No-CG group). Group-specific characteristics and post-implant outcomes were compared.
  
  
  
  In the CG-QUIT group, caregivers did not live in the same home (0.0% vs. 80.6% of CG group) and none were spouses (0.0% vs. 64.5% for CG group). Thirty-day readmission rate was highest in the CG-QUIT group (83.3% vs. 25.8% in CG group and 16.7% in No-CG group).
  
  
  
  Caregiver relationships were more likely to be maintained for the duration of LVAD support when the caregiver was a spouse and resided in the same home as the patient. Carefully selected patients implanted without a designated caregiver had comparable outcomes to those who retained their original caregiver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koeckert
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vining
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reyentovich
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Stuart D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Abe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DeAnda
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Philipson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: leora.balsam@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Leora B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Balsam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Caregiver; Heart failure; Left ventricular assist device; Mechanical circulatory support; Outcomes