Does a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device improve survival free from stroke and device failure in patients with advanced heart failure compared to a pulsatile device?
Continuous-flow LVADs provide superior 2-year survival free from stroke and device failure compared to pulsatile devices in patients with advanced heart failure.
Treatment with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device in patients with advanced heart failure significantly improved the probability of survival free from stroke and device failure at 2 years as compared with a pulsatile device. Both devices significantly improved the quality of life and functional capacity. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00121485.)
Slaughter et al. (2009) studied this question.