Outcomes Among Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices Receiving Maintenance Outpatient Hemodialysis: A Case Series. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation Franz, D. D., Hussein, W. F., Abra, G., Diskin, C. D., Duggal, V., Teuteberg, J. J., Chang, T. I., Schiller, B. 2020

Abstract

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: The incidence of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation as destination therapy for heart failure is increasing and kidney failure requiring maintenance hemodialysis is a common complication. As little is known about the safety or efficacy of outpatient hemodialysis among patients with LVADs, this study sought to describe their clinical course.STUDY DESIGN: Case series of patients with a LVAD undergoing maintenance outpatient hemodialysis whose clinical data were obtained from an electronic medical record.SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Adults who received an LVAD, survived to hospital discharge, and were subsequently treated with maintenance hemodialysis by a non-profit dialysis provider between 2011 and 2019.RESULTS: Eleven patients were included. Six had a known prior history of chronic kidney disease. Patients underwent outpatient hemodialysis for a mean duration of 165.2 days (range 31-542) during which they were treated with 544 total dialysis sessions. Six of these sessions were stopped early due to dialysis-related adverse events (1.1%). Over 80% of follow-up time was spent out of hospital, however, 54.5% of patients were rehospitalized within one month of starting outpatient hemodialysis. The most common reason for hospitalization was infection (32.1%), followed by hypervolemia (14.3%), and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) (10.7%). Four patients recovered kidney function, one underwent combined heart and kidney transplantation, two continued treatment, two died, and two were lost to follow-up.LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design, small number of cases, and lack of complete follow-up data.CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of the patients with complete follow-up either recovered kidney function or underwent combined heart and kidney transplantation. This case series demonstrates that outpatient hemodialysis centers, in partnership with LVAD treatment teams, can successfully provide hemodialysis to patients on LVAD support.

View details for DOI 10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.04.018

View details for PubMedID 32711070