5. Conclusion
From 2009 to 2015, BiVAD utilization decreased, and the associated costs
increased, while LVAD utilization increased, and the related cost and
mortality decreased. While the mortality rate among BiVAD patients did
not change, the patient population had an increasing burden of
comorbidities during this time. Compared to patients with external
BiVADs, patients with internal BiVADs had longer LOS and higher costs
associated with their hospitalizations, but were also more likely to
survive. More studies regarding the optimal BiVAD configurations are
needed to determine appropriate patient selection and perioperative care
to improve outcomes and cost-efficiency.