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Peer Reviewed

1

Publication Date

8-16-2016

Document Type

Review

Abstract

Heart failure is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality with many patients ultimately requiring heart transplantation. As the rate of heart failure continues to increase and surpass the number of available donor hearts, the need for cardiac assist devices is rapidly rising. The total artificial heart has emerged as an effective therapeutic option in patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure who are awaiting orthotopic heart transplantation. The TAH replaces the patient’s native ventricle and valves and has one of the highest bridge to transplant rates. Many complications have been associated with the TAH including infections, bleeding, thrombosis, device malfunction, neurological complications among others. CT is the imaging modality of choice that aids in early recognition of TAH complications.

The aim of this review is to illustrate the TAH components and CT based imaging of TAH complications. Recognition of TAH complications can help to plan for early intervention and therefore improve patient’s survival.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.13023/VAD.2016.18

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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