Hernandez Gabriel A, Talha Khawaja M, Lennep Brandon, Winscott John G
From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
ASAIO J. 2023 Jun 1;69(6):e274-e277. doi: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000001856. Epub 2022 Nov 21.
Outflow graft obstruction (OGO) is a potentially fatal complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Common causes include graft kinking, luminal stenosis, and graft thrombosis. We describe a case of a 51-year-old female who presented with acute LVAD failure and cardiogenic shock. Initial imaging revealed OGO without luminal stenosis following which she was she was empirically treated for graft thrombosis with anticoagulation and catheter-based thrombolytic therapy with no success. Further imaging in the catheterization laboratory revealed a potential neointimal flap dissection acting as a one-way valve. A stent was successfully placed across the outflow graft with immediate resolution of cardiogenic shock. The case emphasizes the importance of including neointimal flap as a differential for OGO in acute LVAD failure, especially in cases where thrombolytic therapy fails to correct hemodynamic compromise.
