Emergent percutaneous therapy for left ventricular assist device retrograde flow

With the number of heart transplants being performed each year stagnating due to lack of donors the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patient population will continue to grow. As more and more patients are living longer with LVADs, either as a bridge to transplant or destination therapy, we will continue to see an increased number of complications related to assist device therapy. One of the common challenges physicians face are patients who suffer from both bleeding and thrombotic complications. When bleeding complications occur anticoagulation is usually reduced or discontinued and then the thrombosis risk increases. Once a pump thrombosis occurs there are limited percutaneous treatment strategies available, especially in the setting of a recent bleeding event. Surgical exchange is the only definitive therapy and that can be a high risk and difficult operation. Turning off an LVAD may become necessary, as it did in our case, but that can lead to significant retrograde flow through the device and rapid patient decline. A prompt percutaneous therapy is needed to stabilize these patients.