Right Ventricular Function and Exercise Capacity in Patients With Continuous-flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices

When pharmacological therapy becomes insufficient in advanced end-stage heart failure (HF) transplantation remains the gold standard of therapies. However, due to a severe lack of donor organs, mechanical circulatory support is an alternative option for some eligible patients. Mechanical circulatory support in the form of a CF-LVAD is a pump supporting the left ventricle by pumping blood from the apex to the ascending aortae. Implantation with a CF-LVAD increases survival and improves quality of life, but peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) remains severely reduced post-implant. Complex central and peripheral hallmarks of heart failure attribute to the continued work intolerance. Furthermore a fixed CF-LVAD pump speed prevents adequate circulatory support during strenuous exercise. The effects of late right ventricular (RV) failure on exercise capacity and quality of life (QOL) is, however, unknown and the purpose of this study is to examine RV function and the association to exercise capacity in CF-LVAD patients.