PAPERS

HVAD Flow Waveform Morphologies: Theoretical Foundation and Implications for Clinical Practice

JD Rich and D Burkhoff
ASAIO J 2017

Continuous flow ventricular assist device (cfVAD) performance and patient hemodynamic conditions are intimately interrelated and dynamic, changing frequently with alterations in physiologic conditions, particularly pre- and after-loading conditions. The Heartware cfVAD (HVAD) provides a unique feature among currently approved VADs of providing an estimated instantaneous flow waveform, the characteristics of which can provide significant insights into patient and device properties. Despite being readily available, HVAD waveforms are poorly understood, underutilized and insufficiently leveraged, even by clinicians who regularly manage HVAD patients. The purpose of this review is to provide the theoretical foundation for understanding the determinants of HVAD waveform characteristics and to provide practical examples illustrating how to interpret and integrate changes of HVAD waveforms into clinical practice. HVAD waveforms should be considered a complimentary tool for the optimization of medical therapies and device speed in HVAD patients.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

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