Effect of IFC Position on LV Unloading
Table S2 lists the univariate linear regression results for the influence of IFC position on VAD FI, MR, LVEDD, and. Median values for each LV unloading-related variable are given for reference.
VAD FI data were available for 112, 107, and 95 patients at one, three, and six months. Median VAD FI ranged from 2.19 – 2.48 L/min/m2, decreasing over time. There was a negative association between lateral plane angle and LVAD FI at three (p = 0.03) and six (p = 0.01) months, indicating that an increasing angle predicts a lower flow index.
When lateral-plane angle is binarized to lateral wall-directed (angle > 0 deg) or not, there is a significantly lower VAD FI observed at both three and six months in patients with laterally-directed IFCs (Figure 6; p = 0.002 for both timepoints).
MR data were available for 83 patients in the early (1-3 month) and 85 patients in the late (6-12 month) timeframe. No patient underwent concomitant mitral valve repair with LVAD. MR versus pre-LVAD decreased by a median of one grade on both assessments. There was no association between IFC position measurements and MR decrement.
Finally, LVEDD was available for 84 patients in the early and 86 patients in the late window. LVEDD decreased by a median 11.7% on early and 6.5% on late assessment. There was no significant association between LVEDD decrement and any IFC position measurement.