[HSF] A Bridge that leads to nowhere?

[Ani Anyanwu]

I have had such patients but often nature sorts it out and they do not survive to the point of that dilemma. Interesting though how we single out VADs in this context. To me a lot of surgery on 90 year olds and similar heroics as we often perform and speak about on this board are also bridge to nowheres. The one year survival after a VAD implant for bridge to transplant surely exceeds that of the one year survival of 90 year olds undergoing cardiac surgery or even a lobectomy for cancer....
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michael Firstenberg<mailto:msfirst at gmail.com> 
  To: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com> 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 10:47 AM
  Subject: [HSF] A Bridge that leads to nowhere?


  As we are all doing more and more VAD-bridge to transplants - particularly
  in acute/salvage cases - has anyone encountered (which I am sure has
  happened) a case where after you put the VAD in and the patient stabilizes,
  get better, everything looks great (high fives all around) - only to find
  out some obvious contraindication to transplant that was not obvious before
  (cancer is the first that comes to mind).  The easy answer is "DT" - but
  maybe a little more complex?


  michael
  _______________________________________________
  OpenHeart-L mailing list

  Send postings to:
   OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com<mailto:OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com>

  To UNSUBSCRIBE, to CHANGE email address, or to view archives:
  http://mmp.cjp.com/mailman/listinfo/openheart-l<http://mmp.cjp.com/mailman/listinfo/openheart-l>

  All messages transmitted by the OpenHeart-L are subject to the policies and 
  disclaimers posted at:
  http://www.hsforum.com/listdisclaim<http://www.hsforum.com/listdisclaim>
  -----------------------------------------