Wound complications after left ventricular assist device implantation.

Abstract

Wound necrosis and infection pose a tremendous risk for patients with left ventricular assist devices. We analyzed our database of patients with left ventricular assist devices for those who developed wound dehiscence and concomitant infection after left ventricular assist device implantation. Three of our 66 patients (4.5%) with implantable ventricular assist devices had had severe wound complications with necrosis of the abdominal or thoracic wall uncovering part of the device. The predominant impact on the development of these complications was presumably related to multiple surgical interventions on the same site. Nevertheless, these patients can recover and undergo successful heart transplantation if adequately managed.