Right Heart Dysfunction After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: A Comparison of the Pulsatile HeartMate I and Axial-Flow HeartMate II Devices

Right heart dysfunction is a persistent clinical problem after left ventricular assist device placement. We report the first study comparing the incidence of right heart dysfunction after HeartMate I versus HeartMate II implantation. Although the incidence of right heart dysfunction was similar, fewer HeartMate II patients required right ventricular assist device placement and fewer required pure inotropic support for right heart failure.