Analysis of the Intrahospital and Long-Term Survival of Heart Transplant Patients With a Short-Term Mechanical Assistance Device

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare early and late survival among patients who have undergone heart transplantation (HTx) with a short-term mechanical assist device.

Methods: This was an ambispective, single-center, consecutive study of patients undergoing urgent HTx for 5 years. Pediatric transplants, retransplants, and combined transplants were excluded. Forty-five patients were included. Four groups were analyzed: those with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) implanted <10 days before HTx; those with ECMO implanted for >10 days; patients classified as INTERMACS 2 to 3 with Levitronix Centrimag implanted; and those classified as INTERMACS 2 with Levitronix Centrimag implanted. Survival and the influence of orotracheal intubation (OI) at the time of transplantation were compared.

Results: There were differences in in-hospital mortality (P = .03) and total mortality (P = .06). The groups with the highest risk for mortality were those who carried ECMO for >10 days before transplantation or those classified as INTERMACS 2 with Levitronix Centrimag implanted. In these groups, the need for posttransplant circulatory support was also greater (P = .04) as was the length of stay in critical care (P = .02). The need for OI during the days of care and until transplantation had a negative effect on survival in all groups (P < .1).

Conclusions: There are different risk subgroups among patients who are transplanted with a circulatory/ventricular assist device. The lowest mortality occurs when the days of ECMO implantation are <10 and when the implanted device is a Levitronix Centrimag in INTERMACS 2 to 3 profile, particularly when the patient reaches the HTx without requiring OI.