Table 2.
Complications
| n | Description | Remedy | Graft Dysfunction |
Recipient Mortality |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonsurgical | |||||
| Jacket | 5 | Torn, unzipped, chewed | Jacket modifications | No | No |
| Tether | 5 | Swivel mechanism dysfunction, detachment | Modifications | No | No |
| Catheter | 6 | Thrombosis, nonfunctional | Increased anticoagulation | Yes | No |
| Surgical/post surgical | |||||
| Bleeding | 4 | Mostly from implant site in transplanted heart or from rupture of mesenteric vessels | Telemetry implant properly secured | No | Yes |
| Infection | 3 | Early detection due to telemetry | Easily controlled with antibiotics | No | No |
| Adhesions | 2 | Mostly mesenteric/bowl adhesions to the transplanted heart | None | No | No |
| Gastric bleeding | 1 | From the gastric ulcers | Treatment of gastric ulcers and decreased use of aspirin | No | Yes |
| Anemia | 3 | Due to unknown cause or bleeding | Packed RBC transfusion | Yes | Yes |
| Intestinal obstruction | 2 | Due to adhesion and fecal impaction | Surgical exploration to relieve the obstruction | No | Yes |
| Aspiration Pneumonia | 1 | Due to bowl obstruction and vomiting | Related to above complication | No | Yes |
| Sudden death | 4 | Bleeding or unknown causes | Partially by securing the LVP telemetry probe | No | Yes |
| Rupture of intestine | 1 | Due to adhesions | Did not recur | No | Yes |
| Coagulopathy | 1 | Thrombocytopenia, consumption of clotting factors | Heparin hiatus, blood transfusions | No | Yes |
| Cardiac rupture | 1 | Improper healing of myocardial infarct | Making sure that the heart is properly perfused | Yes | Yes |