ArticleEuropean journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery2022
Wearable cardioverter defibrillator multicentre experience in a large cardiac surgery cohort at transient risk of sudden cardiac death.
Article in European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Wearable cardioverter defibrillator for transient arrhythmic risk and sudden cardiac death prevention: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis.Open heart · 2025Pooled it
- Wearable Cardioverter-Defibrillator in Patients at Transient Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death: State of the Art and Contemporary Clinical Evidence.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The 90-day blind spot: A surgical imperative after Kuehn and colleagues.JTCVS techniques · 2026Article
- Variabiliy in Prescribing Patterns of Wearable Cardiac Defibrillators: Current Data, Guidelines, Challenges, and Controversies.Current cardiology reports · 2025Review
- Sudden cardiac death in newly diagnosed non-ischaemic or ischaemic cardiomyopathy assessed with a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator: the German nationwide SCD-PROTECT study.European heart journal · 2025Observational
- Association of BMI with adherence and outcome in heart failure patients treated with wearable cardioverter defibrillator.ESC heart failure · 2025Article
- Rapid Improvements in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction Immediately Following Hospital Discharge.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2023Article
- ANMCO position paper: guide to the appropriate use of the wearable cardioverter defibrillator in clinical practice for patients at high transient risk of sudden cardiac death.European heart journal supplements : journal of the European Society of Cardiology · 2023Article
- Wearable cardioverter defibrillator after cardiac surgery: Analysis of real-life data from patients at transient risk of sudden cardiac death.Annals of noninvasive electrocardiology : the official journal of the International Society for Holter and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Inc · 2023Article
- Commentary: Implantable or wearable cardioverter defibrillator after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with left ventricular dysfunction?JTCVS open · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
19 authors at 11 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) is an established, safe, effective solution, protecting patients at risk of sudden cardiac death. We specifically investigated WCD use in cardiac surgery patients since data for this patient group are rare.
methodsRetrospective data analysis in 10 German cardiac surgery centres was performed. Cardiac surgery patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% or after implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) explantation who received WCD between 2010 and 2020 were assessed using LifeVest Network data.
resultsA total of 1168 patients with a median age of 66 years [interquartile range (IQR) 57-73] were enrolled; 87% were male. Clinical indications included coronary artery bypass grafting (43%), valve surgery (16%), combined coronary artery bypass graft/valve surgery (15%), ICD explantation (24%) and miscellaneous (2%). The median wear time of WCD was 23.4 h/day (IQR 21.7-23.8). A total of 106 patients (9.1%) exhibited ventricular tachycardia. A total of 93.2% of episodes occurred within the first 3 months. Eighteen patients (1.5%) received 26 adequate shocks. The inadequate shock rate was low (8 patients, 0.7%). LVEF improved from a median of 28% (IQR 22-32%) before WCD prescription to 35% (IQR 28-42%) during follow-up. Excluding ICD explant patients, 37% of patients received an ICD.
conclusionsThe risk of sudden cardiac death is substantial within the first 3 months after cardiac surgery. Patients were protected effectively by WCD. Due to significant LVEF improvement, the majority did not require ICD implantation after WCD use. Compliance was high despite sternotomy. This multicentre experience confirms existing data regarding effectiveness, safety and compliance. Therefore, WCD should be considered in cardiac surgery patients with severely reduced LVEF.
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