Retrospective evaluation of the effect of nutritional status of patients with left ventricular assist device on clinical results in the postoperative period

Type of funding sources: None.

Malnutrition in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation has negative consequences, such as infection and limited functional capacity. The effects of nutritional status of patients with LVAD on their clinical outcomes were investigated.

116 records of patients with LVAD implantation were retrospectively analysed. For nutritional evaluation, nutrition risk score NRI score was calculated to divide the patients into two groups with and without malnutrition risk. Demographic and clinical data before LVAD, early postoperative adverse events after LVAD, prognostic data, and laboratory findings were analysed.

116 patients (6 females, 110 man) had a mean age of 60.5±9,46 years; Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) scores were determined as 1 (n=11), 2 (n=36), 3 (n=65), and 4 (n=4). Forty four patients (44%) (19 mild, 6 moderate, 19 severe) had MR. The MR was higher in patients with preoperative INTERMACS score 1, low level of haemoglobin and albumin The incidence of adverse events was found to be significantly higher in patients with higher preoperative grade NRI (death during the pooperative period, bleeding).

In the early postoperative period, a MR of 44% was detected in patients who underwent LVAD. Total 72.2 % patients had any adverse events. We found that the presence of MR was effective in predicting postoperative adverse events according to NRI score before LVAD treatment.