Results of concomitant groin-free percutaneous temporary RVAD support using a centrifugal pump with a double-lumen jugular venous cannula in LVAD patients

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is continuously increasing and treatment of HF has become a main focus in clinical medicine. Though optimized medical treatment may improve survival for conservative therapy, heart transplantation (HTx) remains the gold standard in the treatment of end stage HF. Nevertheless, donor organ shortage and/or contraindications for HTx exclude a relevant number of patients from this life-saving therapy. Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) allows for immediate treatment of severe HF, with two main indications: bridge-to-transplantation (BTT) or destination therapy (DT). Implantation numbers are steadily rising with promising mid- and long-term results (1,2)