Operative Approach
Patients were selected for LVAD implantation as either destination therapy or bridge to transplantation by our multidisciplinary team. Three different cardiac surgeons (TK, AGF, JWS) performed LVAD implantation for this patient population during the study period. It is beyond the scope of this manuscript to describe in depth technical details of each approach.
Prior to May 2019, the BT approach was not utilized at our institution and all LVADs were implanted via full median sternotomy. The BT approach became our institutional standard in October 2019 for all LVAD implants.