Mechanical Circulatory Assist Devices Stroke Subtype Classification: A Novel Stroke Classification System in Patients with Ventricular Assist Devices

Stroke remains a frequent and clinically challenging complication in LVAD recipients. There is currently no LVAD-specific stroke etiologic classification to guide management. We propose the MCAD system incorporating management, clinical, acquired, and device-related mechanisms. The MCAD system demonstrated excellent interrater reliability in real-world LVAD stroke cases. This framework may help standardize etiologic assessment and inform therapeutic decision-making.