Left ventricular assist device in pregnancy: case report of a near-term delivery with multidisciplinary support.

Megan E Bunnell, Tianjiao Ren, Tyler J Guidugli, Bushra W Taha, Katherine E Economy, Michael M Givertz

Abstract readCase Reports

In one paragraph

Article in European heart journal. Case reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Megan E BunnellDivision of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2910-9662

Tianjiao RenDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0355-9529

Tyler J GuidugliDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Bushra W TahaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Katherine E EconomyDivision of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Michael M GivertzDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1012-7710

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are utilized to treat end-stage heart failure (HF) refractory to pharmacologic and device-based therapies. LVAD use is considered a relative contraindication to pregnancy due to concerns for increased maternal and foetal risk. Nonetheless, there is an increasing prevalence of LVAD use in pregnant patients with advanced HF. Data have been limited to case reports without guidelines for pregnancy management, and there are no reports of delivery beyond the 34th week of pregnancy. Case: We present a case of a pregnant person with an LVAD who underwent an uncomplicated near-term induction with an unscheduled caesarean delivery without cardiac decompensation or hypertensive disorders. She received multidisciplinary care throughout her antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum course. Conclusion: In LVAD patients with stable haemodynamics, managed by a multidisciplinary team in an appropriately resourced hospital, there may not be a need for planned preterm delivery.

Indexed as

Case reportHeart failureLeft ventricular assist devicePeripartum cardiomyopathyPregnancy

Identifiers

PMID42774620

DOI10.1093/ehjcr/ytag513

PMCPMC13594975

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.