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WASHINGTON — Receipt of a left ventricular assist device at an older age may adversely affect long-term, but not short-term, survival with the device, Evgenij V. Potapov, M.D., reported at the annual conference of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs.
In a review of 403 patients who have received LVADs at the German Heart Institute, Berlin, since 1987, the 116 patients who were older than 60 years were 2.5 times more likely than younger patients to have a negative long-term outcome, such as no heart transplantation, an inability to wean off the LVAD within 6 months, support for less than 6 months in patients with permanent implants, and failure to continue support for more than 6 months in other patients, said Dr. Potapov, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the institute.
No risk factor significantly predicted a negative long-term outcome in patients older than age 60.
“Postcardiotomy support in older patients should be performed in really selective cases,” he said.
WASHINGTON — Receipt of a left ventricular assist device at an older age may adversely affect long-term, but not short-term, survival with the device, Evgenij V. Potapov, M.D., reported at the annual conference of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs.
In a review of 403 patients who have received LVADs at the German Heart Institute, Berlin, since 1987, the 116 patients who were older than 60 years were 2.5 times more likely than younger patients to have a negative long-term outcome, such as no heart transplantation, an inability to wean off the LVAD within 6 months, support for less than 6 months in patients with permanent implants, and failure to continue support for more than 6 months in other patients, said Dr. Potapov, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the institute.
No risk factor significantly predicted a negative long-term outcome in patients older than age 60.
“Postcardiotomy support in older patients should be performed in really selective cases,” he said.
WASHINGTON — Receipt of a left ventricular assist device at an older age may adversely affect long-term, but not short-term, survival with the device, Evgenij V. Potapov, M.D., reported at the annual conference of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs.
In a review of 403 patients who have received LVADs at the German Heart Institute, Berlin, since 1987, the 116 patients who were older than 60 years were 2.5 times more likely than younger patients to have a negative long-term outcome, such as no heart transplantation, an inability to wean off the LVAD within 6 months, support for less than 6 months in patients with permanent implants, and failure to continue support for more than 6 months in other patients, said Dr. Potapov, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the institute.
No risk factor significantly predicted a negative long-term outcome in patients older than age 60.
“Postcardiotomy support in older patients should be performed in really selective cases,” he said.