Echocardiographic Predictors of Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

Aim

To evaluate the predictive value of preoperative echocardiographic parameters for occurrence of VAs in patients with preexisting ICD undergoing LVAD implantation.

Methods and Results

All consecutive patients (n = 264) with previous ICD who underwent LVAD surgery between May 2011 and December 2019 at our institution were included. The patients were predominantly male (89%) with NICM (59%) and a mean age of 59 ± 10 years. All LVADs were continuous flow device (154 HVAD, 21 HeartMate II, and 89 HeartMate 3). A total of 102 (39%) patients had VAs in the first year after LVAD implantation. We compared echocardiographic parameters in patients with and without VAs before LVAD, at 1 month and 1 year after LVAD implantation. Increased pre-LVEDD ≥ 72 mm predicted the occurrence of VAs after LVAD implantation for ICM patients (HR: 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.3–6.6], p = 0.012), while a larger pre-RVEDD ≥ 46 mm was predictive in NICM patients (HR: 2.8, (CI): [1.4–5.9], p = 0.004). Moreover, a larger RVEDD at 1 year after LVAD was highly associated with VAs in the first year after LVAD implantation (50 ± 10 vs. 45 ± 8 mm, p = 0.001). All patients demonstrated a significant decrease in LVEDD as well as a reduction in severity of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation during 1 year after LVAD implantation, reflecting left ventricular unloading through the LVAD.

Conclusions

Larger left and right ventricular diameters before LVAD predict the occurrence of VAs after LVAD implantation in ICM and NICM patients. Persistent RV remodeling post-LVAD is also associated with VAs.