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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Nov 9.
Published in final edited form as: Surgery. 2018 Jun 7;164(2):274–281. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2018.04.013

Table X.

Primary causes of readmission by replacement modality.

30-Day readmission 6-Month readmission
OHT (n=1,312) VAD (n=1,922) OHT (n=2,499) VAD (n=4,144)
Complications of transplanted heart 387 (31.0%) Acute on chronic systolic heart failure 188 (9.7%) Complications of transplanted heart 586 (23.5%) Infection because of VAD 322 (7.8%)
Postoperative infection (septicemia, influenza, pneumonia, C diff colitis, UTI) 101 (7.7%) Gastrointestinal tract bleed 151 (7.8%) Postoperative infection (septicemia, influenza, pneumonia, C diff colitis, UTI) 197 (8.0%) Acute on chronic systolic heart failure 306 (7.5%)
Acute kidney failure 51 (3.9%) VAD mechanical complications 102 (5.9%) Acute kidney failure 112 (4.5%) VAD mechanical complications 361 (7.9%)
Pulmonary embolism and infarction 31 (2.4%) Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia 112 (5.8%) Pulmonary embolism 36 (1.4%) Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia 174 (4.2%)
Seroma 30 (2.2%) Infection due to VAD 70 (3.6%) Seroma 33 (1.3%) Gastrointestinal tract bleed 313 (7.6%)
Cardiac dysrhythmias 16 (2.1%) Abnormal coagulation profile 68 (3.5%) Other pulmonary embolism and infarction 36 (1.4%) Chronic ischemic heart disease 115 (2.8%)
Disruption of surgical wound 22 (1.7%) Other postoperative infection 58 (3%) Complications of transplanted kidney 29 (1.2%) Abnormal coagulation profile 94 (2.3%)
Gastrointestinal bleed 25 (1.9%) Unspecified transient cerebral ischemia 32 (1.7%) Disruption of surgical wound 24 (0.9%) Unspecified cerebral artery occlusion 55 (1.3%)

OHT, orthotopic heart transplantation; VAD, ventricular assist device; C diff, clostridium difficile; UTI, urinary tract infection.