Ventricular assist device support following pediatric heart transplantation

Abstract

VAD support for early graft failure after HTx is a rare event in pediatrics. We retrospectively describe our single-center experience with post-HTx VAD support in a cohort of patients transplanted between 01/05 and 12/20. Nine patients underwent VAD insertion in the early post-HTx period [median age 6.1 years (Range 0.3-20.3), median weight 17.6 kg (Range 3.5-65.0), and congenital heart disease (67%)]. Of the nine patients with early graft failure, almost half (44%) were implanted after 2015 and all of these patients had a pre-HTx plan for possible post-transplant VAD insertion. Time to VAD implant was a median of 0 day (Range 0-11). Total time on VAD support was a median of 12 days (Range 3.0-478.0). Two-thirds (n=6; 67%) of the patients were weaned from support, retransplanted (11%) and two patients died (22%). In all of the patients where post-HTx VAD was anticipated there was 100% survival. In this small patient series, post-HTx VAD was a useful measure in selected patients especially with pre-HTx planning. However, more shared experiences to verify these findings are needed.