The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Jun 2008
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialA prospective, multicenter trial of the VentrAssist left ventricular assist device for bridge to transplant: safety and efficacy.
The increasing prevalence of chronic heart failure has stimulated the ongoing development of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) for both bridge-to-transplant (BTT) and destination therapy (DT). The aim of this prospective, multicenter clinical trial was to determine the efficacy and safety of a third-generation LVAD, the VentrAssist, in a BTT cohort. ⋯ This trial demonstrated a favorable efficacy and safety profile for use of the VentrAssist LVAD in BTT patients.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Jun 2008
Pre-transplant quality of life does not predict survival after lung transplantation.
Currently, the goal of lung transplantation is not only to improve survival but also includes improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQL). Limited knowledge is available about the value of HRQL before lung transplantation with regard to predicting survival after lung transplantation. To maximize the benefits of transplantation, it is essential to gain knowledge about variables that predict both length and quality of survival. In this study we sought to determine whether HRQL before transplantation predicts survival after lung transplantation. ⋯ Results suggest that scores on the various HRQL measures before transplantation did not predict survival after lung transplantation. The present results do not support the usefulness of pre-transplant HRQL measures for the selection of lung transplant candidates or their urgency for transplantation.