The Impact of Adverse Events on Functional Capacity and Quality of Life After HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) improve quality of life (QoL) and functional capacity (FC) for patients with advanced heart failure. The association between adverse events (AEs) and changes in QoL and FC are unknown. Patients treated with the HeartWare ventricular assist device (HVAD) with paired 6-minute walk distance (6MWD, n = 263) and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaires (KCCQ, n = 272) at baseline and 24 months in the ENDURANCE and ENDURANCE Supplemental Trial databases were included. Patients were stratified based upon occurrence of clinically significant AEs during the first 24 months of support and analyzed for the mean change in 6MWD and KCCQ. The impact of AE frequency on change in 6MWD and KCCQ from baseline to 24 months was evaluated. Of the AEs examined, only sepsis was associated with an improvement in 6MWD (109 m vs. 16 m, p = 0.002). Patients without improvement in 6MWD test from baseline to 24 months had significantly more AEs than those with FC improvement (p = 0.0002). Adverse events did not affect the KCCQ overall summary score. In this analysis, patients with fewer AEs had greater improvement in FC during the 24-month follow up. The frequency of AEs did not have a significant impact on QoL after LVAD implantation.