Background: The UK Government funds ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation as bridge to transplantation (BTT) at three centers. Results from this program have not been published.
Methods: All 70 VAD implants for BTT, 71 inotrope-dependent and 179 non-VAD transplant candidates, accepted for transplantation between April 2002 and December 2004, were prospectively monitored for survival to transplantation, survival overall and quality of life.
Results: Of the 70 VAD patients, 31 (44%) survived to heart transplantation, 4 (6%) were bridged to recovery and 5 remained on support at the end of the study. Thirty patients (43%) died while on support. Overall survival from VAD implant was 52% at 1 year. Ten percent of non-VAD inotrope-dependent patients and 9% of routine transplant candidates died while on the waiting list. For transplant recipients, 12-month post-operative survival was 84%, 85% and 84%, respectively, for VAD, inotrope-dependent and routine transplant candidates. VAD and non-VAD patients had similar post-transplant adverse event rates.
Conclusions: There was a role for VAD bridge to transplant for selected patients in the UK, despite the availability of an effective urgent transplant list. VAD patients who underwent transplantation had survival rates similar to other transplant candidates.