Thrombus on the inflow cannula of the HeartWare HVAD: an update

The HeartWare ™ HVAD™ (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN) is a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) approved by the FDA in 2012 as a bridge to transplant in patients with end-stage left ventricular heart failure. The current inflow cannula has a smooth outer surface near the inflow edge and a sintered collar of titanium microspheres near the pump. A previous case series of HVAD patients bridged to transplant revealed thrombus on the outer surface of the inflow cannula in 8/8 patients, predominantly at the smooth-sintered interface, that was associated with a clinical stroke rate of 12.5% .

Source: Cardiovascular Pathology - September 14, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Carolyn H. Glass, Alexander Christakis, Gregory A. Fishbein, Jaclyn C. Watkins, Kyle C. Strickland, Richard N. Mitchell, Robert F. Padera Tags: Orignal Article Source Type: research