Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Surgery, LVAD, Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, Obesity, Heart failure, Heart transplant, Ventricular support, Bridge to transplant, BODY-MASS INDEX, MORBIDLY OBESE-PATIENTS, HEART-FAILURE, BARIATRIC SURGERY, WEIGHT, IMPACT, TRANSPLANTATION, IMPLANTATION, BRIDGE, RISK, Gastrectomy, Heart Failure, Heart Transplantation, Heart-Assist Devices, Humans, Laparoscopy, New York, Obesity, Morbid, Retrospective Studies, Treatment Outcome, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 3202 Clinical sciences, 3210 Nutrition and dietetics, 4206 Public health

Abstract:

For patients with advanced heart failure, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can serve as a bridge to heart transplantation. Patients with class II obesity are eligible for implantation of LVAD but do not meet criteria for cardiac transplant listing. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is proposed as weight losing modality in order to reach the New York Heart Association (NYHA) criteria for listing. In our center, three patients on LVAD with need for weight-reducing therapy were treated with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. We reviewed our data retrospectively and compared it with the literature. Successful weight loss was achieved in all patients, without postoperative adverse events. Two out of three were listed on transplant waiting list. Our results are similar to those described in other series.