Timing and Trends of Right Atrial Pressure and Risk of Right Heart Failure After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Elevated right atrial pressure (RAP) is associated with poor outcomes after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. However, the optimal time for RAP measurement and the importance of resolution of right heart congestion prior to LVAD implantation remain unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 134 consecutive LVAD recipients from our institution. Congestion was defined as RAP ≥ 14 mmHg and was assessed at hospital admission and implant. The primary outcome was death or right ventricular assist device (RVAD) implantation. When stratified by congestion status at admission, congested and non-congested patients had similar event-free survival rates (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6-2.6). However, when stratified at implant, congested patients had a higher rate death or RVAD implantation (HR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.1-5.6). Patients were then divided into 4 groups based on their trajectory of congestion status: no congestion, resolved congestion, new congestion, or persistent congestion. Patients with no congestion and resolved congestion had similar outcomes, whereas patients with persistent congestion had a markedly increased rate of death or RVAD implantation (HR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.3-7.6). CONCLUSION: RAP at LVAD implantation is more strongly associated with postoperative outcomes than admission RAP. Patients not responsive to decongestive therapies, with persistently elevated RAP, represent a high-risk cohort for adverse outcomes following LVAD implantation.

Preimplant Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitor Use Is Associated With Higher Rates of Severe Early Right Heart Failure After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Background Early right heart failure (RHF) occurs commonly in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients, and increased right ventricular (RV) afterload may contribute. Selective pulmonary vasodilators, like phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i), are used off-label to reduce RV afterload before LVAD implantation, but the association between preoperative PDE5i use and early RHF after LVAD is unknown. Methods and Results We analyzed adult patients from the INTERMACS registry (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) who received a continuous flow LVAD after 2012. Patients on PDE5i were propensity-matched 1:1 to controls. The primary outcome was the incidence of severe early RHF, defined as the composite of death from RHF within 30 days, need for RV assist device support within 30 days, or use of inotropes beyond 14 days. Of 11 544 continuous flow LVAD recipients, 1199 (10.4%) received preoperative PDE5i. Compared to controls, patients on PDE5i had higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure (53.4 mm Hg versus 49.5 mm Hg) and pulmonary vascular resistance (2.6 WU versus 2.3 WU; P<0.001 for both). Before propensity matching, the incidence of severe early RHF was higher among patients on PDE5i than in controls (29.4% versus 23.1%; unadjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.32; 95% CI, 1.17-1.50). This association persisted after propensity matching (PDE5i, 28.9% versus control 23.7%; OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.09-1.57), driven by a higher incidence of prolonged inotropic support. Similar results were observed across a wide range of subgroups stratified by markers of pulmonary vascular disease and RV dysfunction. Conclusions Patients treated with preoperative PDE5i had markers of increased RV afterload and HF severity compared to unmatched controls. Even after propensity matching, patients receiving preimplant PDE5i therapy had higher rates of post-LVAD RHF.