Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) play a crucial role in improving both survival rates and quality of life for individuals with end-stage heart failure. However, one uncommon but serious complication is outflow graft obstruction (OGO), where the passage between the LVAD pump and the aorta becomes restricted.
Recently, endovascular stenting has shown promise as a less invasive and lower-risk alternative to surgical LVAD replacement. However, given the rarity of OGO, the best approach to stenting and its procedural management remains unclear.
This was the basis for research recently published in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation Open (JHLT Open) in which several University of Florida researchers participated. R. David Anderson, MD, MS, FACC, FSCAI, and Mustafa Ahmed, MD, of the UF Division of Cardiovascular Medicine led a team to investigate and detail their findings in the paper, entitled “Advancing the Frontier of Left Ventricular Assist Device Outflow Graft Stenting: Stenting Techniques and Outcomes in a Landmark Case Series.”
Other researchers from the UF Division of Cardiovascular Medicine included Mohammad Al-Ani, MD, FACC, FSCMR, Juan Aranda, MD, FACC, Alex Parker, MD, and Juan Vilaro, MD. From the UF Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery: Eric Jeng, MD, MBA, FACS, FACC. And from the UF Division of Internal Medicine: Andrew Stein, MD, and David Gittess, MD.
We are proud to see our division continue to contribute to the literature on advanced heart failure procedures and therapies.