Evaluating the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on in-hospital outcomes following left ventricular assist device implantation

J Card Surg. 2020 Dec;35(12):3374-3380. doi: 10.1111/jocs.15084. Epub 2020 Oct 1.

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a cause of ventricular dysfunction. However, in the setting of patients with heart failure undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, there is a paucity of data on the association between COPD and in-hospital outcomes.

Methods and results: Retrospective cohort study based on the NIS including patients ≥18 years who underwent LVAD implantation from 2011 to 2017. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the impact of COPD on in-hospital outcomes. A total of 25,503 patients underwent LVAD implantation, of which 13.8% also had COPD. COPD group was older (median 62 vs. 58 years), and more males (82% vs. 76.4%, p < .001 for both). COPD group had more hypertension, diabetes, atrial tachyarrhythmias, dyslipidemia, prior stroke, coronary artery diseases, pulmonary hypertension, and chronic kidney disease (p < .001 for all). No differences in strokes, infections, mechanical circulatory support, and LVAD thrombosis. There was a higher incident of inpatient acute kidney injury, major bleeding, cardiac complications, thromboembolism, and cardiac arrest in patients without COPD (p < .05 for all). Compared with no-COPD group, COPD group had a lower mortality (6.2% vs. 12.4%; odds ratio, 0.59; confidence interval, 0.512-0.685; p < .05).

Conclusion: Patients with COPD undergoing LVAD implantation have more comorbidities, without an associated increase mortality.

Keywords: advanced heart failure; mechanical circulatory support; pulmonary disease.

MeSH terms

  • Heart Failure*
  • Heart-Assist Devices*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* / complications
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome