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Liver disease develops in one-third of patients with cystic fibrosis ( CF). It is rare for liver disease to have its onset after 20 years of age. Lung disease, however, is usually more severe in adulthood. A retrospective analysis was performed on nine patients. Three patients required lung transplantation approximately a decade after liver transplant, and another underwent combined liver and lung transplants. Four additional patients with liver transplants are awaiting assessment for lung transplants. One patient is awaiting combined liver and lung transplants. With increased survival in CF, several patients may require more than single organ transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Donation after cardiac death (DCD) from Maastrict category 3 donors consisted of approximately 12% of our lung transplant activity in 2008. We will review the results of our DCD lung transplants and discuss the future direction of the program at St Vincent's Hospital. Methodology: Since commencing in November 2007 there have been 19 referrals for DCD, leading to 9 attempted retrievals. Only seven retrievals resulted in lung donation. Elective withdrawal of life-sustaining support and certification of death (limit of 60 minutes from withdrawal) occurred in the Intensive Care Unit or Operating Theatre. Results: The donor group average age was 34 years (range 14–56) and average PaO2/FiO2 ratio 407 (±57). Causes of death included subarachnoid haemorrhage (2), Traumatic head injury (2), hypoxic brain injury (2) and embolic CVA (1). Average recipient age was 32 years (range 15–61) and aetiology of respiratory failure included cystic fibrosis (2), bronchiectasis (1), bronchiolitis obliterans (1), emphysema (1), interstitial lung disease (1) and pulmonary hypertension (1). Mean time to asystole after withdrawal of treatment was 23 minutes (range 9–57), mean warm ischaemic time 19 minutes (range 10–31) and mean cold ischaemic time (left lung) 275 minutes (range 241–320). Early gas exchange was good: an average PaO2/FiO2 of 324 (141–503). Average intensive care stay was 5 days (3–10) and length of stay 23 days (12–36). All patients are still alive. Conclusion: Despite the period of warm ischaemia the early results are excellent. Future challenges will present when the program considers donors with longer warm ischaemic times and more “marginal” gas exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a predictor of right heart failure (RHF) and increased mortality following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, however the benefit of tricuspid valve surgery (TVS) at the time of LVAD implantation remains unclear. This study compares early and late mortality and RHF outcomes in patients with significant TR undergoing LVAD implantation with and without concomitant TVS., Methods: A systematic search of four electronic databases was conducted for studies comparing patients with moderate or severe TR undergoing LVAD implantation with or without concomitant TVS. Meta-analysis was performed for primary outcomes of early and late mortality and RHF. Secondary outcomes included rate of stroke, renal failure, hospital and ICU length of stay. An overall survival curve was constructed using aggregated, reconstructed individual patient data from Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves., Results: Nine studies included 575 patients that underwent isolated LVAD and 308 patients whom received concomitant TVS. Both groups had similar rates of severe TR (46.5% vs. 45.6%). There was no significant difference seen in risk of early mortality (RR 0.90; 95% CI, 0.57-1.42; p = 0.64; I 2  = 0%) or early RHF (RR 0.82; 95% CI, 0.66-1.19; p = 0.41; I 2  = 57) and late outcomes remained comparable between both groups. The aggregated KM curve showed isolated LVAD to be associated with overall increased survival (HR 1.42; 95% CI, 1.05-1.93; p = 0.023)., Conclusions: Undergoing concomitant TVS did not display increased benefit in terms of early or late mortality and RHF in patients with preoperative significant TR. Further data to evaluate the benefit of concomitant TVS stratified by TR severity or by other predictors of RHF will be beneficial., (© 2024 The Author(s). Artificial Organs published by International Center for Artificial Organ and Transplantation (ICAOT) and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation via thoracotomy has many potential advantages compared to conventional sternotomy, including improved inflow cannula (IFC) positioning. We compared the difference in IFC angles, postoperative, and long-term outcomes for patients with LVADs implanted via thoracotomy and sternotomy., Methods: A single-center, retrospective analysis of 14 patients who underwent thoracotomy implantation was performed and matched with 28 patients who underwent sternotomy LVAD implantations for a total of 42 patients. Inclusion required a minimum LVAD support duration of 30 days and excluded concomitant procedures. A postoperative CT-chest was used to measure the angle the between the IFC and mitral valve in two-dimensions and results were compared with three-dimensional reconstruction using the same CT chest. Outcome data were extracted from medical records., Results: There was no significant difference in gender, INTERMACS score, BMI, or age between the two groups. Median cardiopulmonary bypass time was longer in the thoracotomy group compared to the sternotomy group, 107 min (86-122) versus 76 min (56-93), p < 0.01. 3D reconstructions revealed less deviation of the IFC away from the mitral valve in devices implanted via thoracotomy compared to sternotomy, median (IQR) angle 16.3° (13.9°-21.0°) versus 23.2° (17.9°-26.4°), p < 0.01. Rates of pump thrombosis, stroke, and gastrointestinal bleeding were not significantly different., Conclusions: Devices implanted via thoracotomy demonstrated less deviation away from mitral valve. However, there was no difference in morbidity between the two approaches. 3D reconstruction of the heart is an innovative technique to measure angulation and is clinically advantageous when compared to 2D imaging., (© 2022 The Authors. Artificial Organs published by International Center for Artificial Organ and Transplantation (ICAOT) and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: BiVACOR is a novel total artificial heart (TAH) utilizing a single centrifugal magnetically levitated rotor with the ability to modulate pulsatile flow. The device has been successfully tested in a bovine model. We undertook a multicenter anatomical and virtual fitting study of the BiVACOR in patients undergoing heart transplantation., Methods: 10 patients were recruited across two heart transplant centers. A sterilized 1:1 titanium model of the device was inserted into the patient's chest post heart explant, prior to implantation of the donor heart. Measurements were recorded in situ. The device was then removed. Following this, retrospective 3D reconstructions were created from computed tomography chest scans to simulate a virtual fitting., Results: Mean age was 53 years (range 38-67). Mean BMI was 28 (range 20-37). Heart failure etiology was varied-with ischemic cardiomyopathy being the most common. Mean spine-to-sternum distance at the tenth thoracic vertebrae (T10) was 14 cm (range 11-18). Mean aorta to aortic Port distance was 0.2 cm (range 0-0.5). Mean pulmonary artery to pulmonary artery port distance was 4.2 cm (range 1-7). The device fitted suitably in all patients without gross distortion to the geometry between native vessel/chamber and port., Conclusions: This study described the anatomical and virtual fitting of the BiVACOR TAH. The device fit well within the chest cavities of all 10 patients, who represented a variety of body morphologies and heart failure etiology., (© 2021 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (cfLVADS) result in a significant reduction in aortic valve (AV) opening, which has been associated with several complications. Reliable monitoring of AV opening is needed to determine whether pump speed adjustment may be able to minimize adverse outcomes. We assessed AV status continuously by echocardiography for 4 minutes in 3 states in 18 HeartWare HVAD patients: 2 minutes at rest, and 1 minute each following Valsalva maneuver and supine leg-raising. Using a previously described algorithm, beat-to-beat AV status was compared with the area under the curve of the normalized power spectral density analysis (PSD-AUC) for the corresponding beats of the pump speed waveform. Five thousand five hundred twenty-seven beats were analyzed. AV opening varied between 0% and 100% for the cohort with the median AV opening frequency 21.5%, and median duration of opening of 124 msec (range 0-279). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area for AV opening by the PSD-AUC algorithm was 0.95 (P < 0.0001). A PSD-AUC cut-off of 0.82 distinguished between an open and closed AV with 86% sensitivity and 93% specificity. Accuracy was similar in regular cardiac rhythm, atrial fibrillation or with frequent ventricular ectopic beats. Valsalva maneuver and leg-raising had no impact on accuracy. The PSD-AUC was strongly predictive of AV opening duration (P < 0.0001). We found that AV status and opening duration can be determined with high accuracy on a beat-to-beat basis irrespective of cardiac rhythm and with low level exercise and changes in filling., (© 2018 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

It is important to accurately monitor residual cardiac function in patients under long-term continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (cfLVAD) support. Two new measures of left ventricular (LV) chamber contractility in the cfLVAD-unloaded ventricle include IQ, a regression coefficient between maximum flow acceleration and flow pulsatility at different pump speeds; and K, a logarithmic relationship between volumes moved in systole and diastole. We sought to optimize these indices. We also propose RIQ, a ratio between maximum flow acceleration and flow pulsatility at baseline pump speed, as an alternative to IQ. Eleven patients (mean age 49 ± 11 years) were studied. The K index was derived at baseline pump speed by defining systolic and diastolic onset as time points at which maximum and minimum volumes move through the pump. IQ across the full range of pump speeds was markedly different between patients. It was unreliable in three patients with underlying atrial fibrillation (coefficient of determination R(2) range: 0.38-0.74) and also when calculated without pump speed manipulation (R(2) range: 0.01-0.74). The K index was within physiological ranges, but poorly correlated to both IQ (P = 0.42) and RIQ (P = 0.92). In four patients there was excellent correspondence between RIQ and IQ, while four other patients showed a poor relationship between these indices. As RIQ does not require pump speed changes, it may be a more clinically appropriate measure. Further studies are required to determine the validity of these indices., (Copyright © 2014 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The current recommended anticoagulation regimen during continuous flow centrifugal left ventricular device support is a combination of antiplatelet therapy as well as oral anticoagulation. Despite this, pump thrombosis occurs in rare situations. We report the risk factors and nonsurgical management and outcomes of five patients implanted with continuous flow centrifugal left ventricular assist devices who displayed clinical, hemodynamic, and laboratory features of intrapump thrombosis. This information may support the use of intravenous thrombolytics for suspected pump thrombus in these newer generation devices., (© 2013, Copyright the Authors. Artificial Organs © 2013, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

1. Ischaemic preconditioning (IP) can significantly reduce the extent of infarct size, contractile dysfunction and necrosis in hearts from a number of animal species. Activation of ATP-sensitive potassium channels has been implicated in this process. The aims of the present study were to determine the extent to which IP preserves haemodynamic function in the rat isolated working heart model after prolonged hypothermic storage and to examine the involvement of activation of potassium channels in this process. 2. Hearts from Wistar rats were perfused on a Langendorff apparatus. After stabilization in working mode, baseline measurements of heart rate, aortic flow, coronary flow and cardiac output were performed. Hearts were randomized to one of six treatment groups: (i) untreated control; (ii) IP; (iii) 3 min perfusion with 200 mumol/L pinacidil; (iv) pinacidil vehicle; (v) 3 min perfusion with 10 mumol/L glibenclamide before IP; and (vi) 3 min perfusion with glibenclamide then pinacidil. Hearts were stored in an extracellular-based preservation solution for 6 or 12 h at 2-3 degrees C, remounted on the perfusion apparatus, stabilized as before and then haemodynamic measurements were repeated, after which time heart water contents were determined. 3. Recovery of haemodynamic function was markedly enhanced in the IP and pinacidil-treated groups compared with untreated and vehicle controls. These beneficial effects were completely blocked by glibenclamide. These results suggest that strategies for activating potassium channels in donor hearts may protect organs during hypothermic storage prior to transplantation.