The Other Ventricle With Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Lynne Warner Stevenson, MD; Jordan R.H. Hoffman, MD; Jonathan N. Menachem, MD

Disclosures

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;78(23) 

In This Article

Abstract and Introduction

Introduction

Mechanical circulatory support has evolved over the last 50 years and has become an integral part of management of advanced heart failure (HF).[1] Although it was hoped that effective unloading of the failing left ventricle (LV) with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) would adequately unload the right ventricle (RV) as well, only minor improvement in RV function is reported by 3 months after LVAD implantation.[2] Using RV pressure-volume conductance catheters, even LVAD patients with normal RV function on echocardiography demonstrate impaired RV function.[3,4]

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