LVAD pannus complicating destination therapy

Abstract

Despite advances in technology, ventricular assist devices still experience a number of complications limiting their long-term use. We present a 73-year-old woman implanted with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) five years prior due to end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy, who died several weeks after admission to the hospital. Post-mortem examination revealed a large obstructing pannus in the LVAD inflow. As a result of increased LVAD use, complications such as infection, device thrombosis and pannus must be promptly recognized and managed appropriately to ensure the greatest chance of patient survival. Keywords: Mechanical circulatory support, Ventricular assist device, Heart failure, Pannus, Destination therapy