Renal Function in Patients with or without a Left Ventricular Assist Device Implant During Listing for a Heart Transplant

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation may improve kidney function, but in patients awaiting heart transplantation, the long-term effects of LVAD implantation on renal function and subsequent clinical outcome are unclear. MATERIAL/METHODS: We analyzed data in patients with LVAD implants (n=139) and without LVAD implants (n=1038) who were listed for a heart transplant at our institution between 2000 and 2019. The primary endpoint was an impairment in renal function (decrease of creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] by ≥30%) up to a maximum of 2 years after listing. Secondary endpoints were chronic kidney disease stage 4 or 5, heart transplantation, survival during listing, and 1-year survival after transplantation. RESULTS: Values for eGFR increased after LVAD implantation (P=0.001) and were higher at the time of waitlisting in the LVAD group than in the non-LVAD group (P=0.002), but were similar between groups at the end of waitlisting (P=0.75). Two-year freedom from renal impairment was 50.6% and 66.7% in the LVAD and non-LVAD groups, respectively, with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio for the LVAD versus the non-LVAD group of 1.78 (95% confidence interval 1.19–2.68; P=0.005). Two-year freedom from chronic kidney disease stages 4–5 was similar between study groups (LVAD group: 83.5%; non-LVAD group: 80.1%; =0.50). The 2-year probability of transplantation was slightly lower in the LVAD group than in the non-LVAD group (50.0% and 55.8%, respectively, P=0.017). However, 2-year survival on the waiting list and 1-year survival after transplantation did not differ significantly between study groups (P-values >0.20). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate a transient improvement in creatinine-based eGFR values by LVAD implantation without influencing survival.