Fusion of Aortic Valve Commissures in Patients Supported by a Continuous Axial Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device

Commissural fusion of the native aortic valve leaflets occurs frequently with an increasing prevalence of aortic insufficiency during continuous flow LVAD support. With the potential broader use of non-pulsatile LVADs and the prospect of using LVADs as means to assist in myocardial recovery, special attention should be given to evaluating aortic valve function during LVAD support.