Long-term follow-up of postcardiotomy patients with profound cardiogenic shock treated with ventricular assist devices.

Success of ventricular assist devices in patients with postcardiotomy shock has provided enough survivors to allow evaluation of the length and quality of life. Fifteen survivors from 28 to 68 years (mean 53) old from four centers were followed for 6 to 77 months (mean 35) after discharge from the hospital. Four patients suffered perioperative myocardial infarctions. In three patients, ventricular function was normal before surgery and remained so afterward. Of 12 patients with moderate or severely impaired ventricular function, five improved, five were unchanged, and two were worse. One patient died 6 months after surgery of cardiomyopathy. Seven patients are employed full-time and one works part-time. Five patients are retired but active and one is moderately disabled. NYHA functional class improved in the patients as a group: 13 were in classes III and IV before surgery and 13 were in classes I and II after surgery. Two patients had noncardiac partial disability. Survivors of ventricular assist device support for postcardiotomy shock have an excellent chance for high-quality life and the risk of crippling cardiac disability is small.