Asymmetric Pattern of Cerebrovascular Lesions in Patients After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke is a major adverse event after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery. The purpose of this study was to describe differences in hemispheric distribution of stroke in LVAD patients. METHODS: We reviewed 317 consecutive patients who underwent LVAD surgery between November 2000 and July 2011. Stroke during LVAD support was analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 46 strokes occurred at 76.0±96.8 days postoperatively. Among the 46 strokes, 27 events (58.7%) occurred in right hemisphere, 13 events (28.2%) in the left hemisphere, 3 events (8.7%) occurred bilaterally, and 2 events (4.3%) were vertebrobasilar lesions. The right hemispheric stroke was significantly more common in patients with postoperative infection compared with left hemispheric events. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke after LVAD implantation has a right hemispheric predominance. This finding suggests LVAD-related thrombus in the setting of infection and/or the anatomic configuration of LVAD outflow cannula-ascending aorta anastomosis to be highly associated with stroke after LVAD surgery.