Incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in patients on long-term support with a continuous-flow assist device (HeartMate II)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in patients on long-term support with a continuous-flow assist device (HeartMate II)

AU - Andersen, Mads

AU - Videbaek, Regitze

AU - Boesgaard, Søren

AU - Sander, Kåre

AU - Hansen, Peter B

AU - Gustafsson, Finn

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Defibrillators, Implantable; Electric Countershock; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Diseases; Heart-Assist Devices; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Tachycardia, Ventricular; Ventricular Fibrillation

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - The incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) in patients supported with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has not been investigated in detail. In 23 consecutive recipients of a HeartMate II, we analyzed the incidence of VT/VF during a total of 266 months of follow-up. Sustained VT or VF occurred in 52% of the patients, with the majority of arrhythmias occurring in the first 4 weeks after LVAD implantation. VT/VF requiring implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shock or external defibrillation occurred in 8 patients and significant hemodynamic instability ensued in 3 patients. There were no clear predictors of VT/VF, and it is argued that prophylactic ICD implantation should be considered in patients supported with a continuous-flow LVAD.

AB - The incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) in patients supported with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has not been investigated in detail. In 23 consecutive recipients of a HeartMate II, we analyzed the incidence of VT/VF during a total of 266 months of follow-up. Sustained VT or VF occurred in 52% of the patients, with the majority of arrhythmias occurring in the first 4 weeks after LVAD implantation. VT/VF requiring implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shock or external defibrillation occurred in 8 patients and significant hemodynamic instability ensued in 3 patients. There were no clear predictors of VT/VF, and it is argued that prophylactic ICD implantation should be considered in patients supported with a continuous-flow LVAD.

U2 - 10.1016/j.healun.2009.03.011

DO - 10.1016/j.healun.2009.03.011

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19560703

SN - 1053-2498

VL - 28

SP - 733

EP - 735

JO - Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation

JF - Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation

IS - 7

ER -