Racial Disparities and Outcomes After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation as Bridge to Transplantation or Destination Therapy.

We sought to investigate outcomes after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation in advanced heart failure patients stratified by race. Patients who had LVADs inserted at a single center as a bridge to transplant (BTT) or destination therapy (DT) were divided into 3 groups based on race: Caucasian, African American (AA), and Hispanic. Postoperative outcomes including complications, discharge disposition, and survival at defined time points were compared. Cox proportional hazards were used to identify factors associated with 1-year all-cause survival. A total of 158 patients who had LVADs as BTT ( AA patients who undergo LVAD implantation as BTT or DT have lower socioeconomic status and educational level compared to their Caucasian or Hispanic counterparts. These differences, however, do not translate into postimplant survival outcomes.