The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon
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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Aug 2014
Hematologic markers better predict left ventricular assist device thrombosis than echocardiographic or pump parameters.
Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) thrombosis is a life-threatening complication that remains a major clinical problem. Consensus diagnostic criteria do not exist. We investigated whether hematologic, echocardiographic, or pump parameters reliably change during LVAD thrombosis. ⋯ Hematological markers of hemolysis, but not echocardiographic or pump parameters, reliably changed during LVAD thrombosis. Markers of hemolysis are the best early predictors of LVAD thrombosis.