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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;133:689-695
© 2007 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Cardiopulmonary Support and Physiology

Left ventricular assist devices decrease fixed pulmonary hypertension in cardiac transplant candidates

Daniel Zimpfer, MDa,*, Philipp Zrunek, MSb, Wilfried Roethy, MDa, Martin Czerny, MDa, Heinz Schima, PhDb, Leopold Huber, PhDb, Michael Grimm, MDa, Angela Rajek, MDc, Ernst Wolner, MD, PhDa, Georg Wieselthaler, MDa

a Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Wahringer Guertel, Vienna, Austria
b Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Wahringer Guertel, Vienna, Austria
c Department of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology, Medical University of Vienna, Wahringer Guertel, Vienna, Austria.

Received for publication January 21, 2006; revisions received August 3, 2006; accepted for publication August 10, 2006.

* Address for reprints: Daniel Zimfer, MD, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Waehringer Guertel, A-1090 Vienna, Austria (Email: daniel.zimpfer{at}meduniwien.ac.at).

Objective: Fixed pulmonary hypertension is a contraindication for cardiac transplantation because of the increased risk of donor heart failure. We sought to determine whether left ventricular assist devices improve fixed pulmonary hypertension in cardiac transplant candidates to enable safe cardiac transplantation.

Methods: Thirty-five consecutive cardiac transplant candidates (age 56 ± 6 years, 88.5% were men) with fixed pulmonary hypertension (5.1 ± 2.6 Wood units) resistant to medical treatment received a left ventricular assist device as a bridge to transplantation. Three left ventricular assist device systems were used (pulsatile blood flow: Novacor [World Heart Inc, Oakland, Calif] n = 8; continuous blood flow: MicroMed DeBakey [MicroMed Technology Inc, Houston, Tex] n = 24, DuraHeart [Terumo Heart Inc, Ann Arbor, Mich] n = 3). Right-sided heart catheter data were obtained before left ventricular assist device implantation at 3-day and 6-week follow-ups. Clinical data and complications were recorded.

Results: Before left ventricular assist device implantation, the pulmonary vascular resistance was 5.1 ± 2.8 Wood units. Values were comparable in patients receiving pulsatile (5.1 ± 3.4 Wood units) or continuous blood flow left ventricular assist devices (5.1 ± 2.7 Wood units, P = .976). Left ventricular assist device implantation decreased pulmonary vascular resistance at 3-day (2.9 ± 1.3 Wood units, P < .0001) and 6-week (2.0 ± 0.8 Wood units, P < .0001) follow-ups compared with before implantation. This effect was independent of the type of left ventricular assist device system used (3-day follow-up: pulsatile flow: 3.2 ± 1.3 Wood units vs continuous flow: 2.7 ± 1.2 Wood units; P = .310 and 6-week follow-up: pulsatile flow: 1.9 ± 0.9 Wood units vs continuous flow: 2.1 ± 0.8 Wood units; P = .905). Twenty-four patients had successful bridges to transplantation (69%, mean time on left ventricular assist device 210 ± 83 days), and 11 patients died before transplantation (31%, mean time on left ventricular assist device 67 ± 30 days). The 1-year survival after transplantation was 95%.

Conclusion: Left ventricular assist devices decrease fixed pulmonary hypertension in cardiac transplant candidates and allow patients to overcome a contraindication for cardiac transplantation. Therefore, left ventricular assist devices should be considered in all cardiac transplant candidates with fixed pulmonary hypertension.

Abbreviations and Acronyms LVAD = left ventricular assist device; PG = prostaglandin; PH = pulmonary hypertension; PVR = pulmonary vascular resistance; WU = Wood units




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