Plasmapheresis in Patients With Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia Requiring Ventricular Assist Device

Salvador R Maffei; Harveen K Lamba; Cassius Kwasi Mensah; Arthur Bracey; Andrew Civitello; Reynolds Delgado; Leo Simpson; Ajith Nair; O H Frazier; Jeffrey A Morgan

doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.09.056

Plasmapheresis in Patients With Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia Requiring Ventricular Assist Device

Ann Thorac Surg. 2020 Jun;109(6):e439-e440. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.09.056. Epub 2019 Nov 9.

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
² Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation and the Center for Cardiac Support, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: lamba@bcm.edu.
³ Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation and the Center for Cardiac Support, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.

PMID: 31715152
DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.09.056

Abstract

Anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin is vital to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events during cardiopulmonary bypass and left ventricular assist device placement. However patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia are at risk of developing immune-mediated thrombotic events. We describe 2 patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia confirmed via serotonin release assay who were successfully treated with plasmapheresis exchange before left ventricular assist device placement.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Anticoagulants / adverse effects
Heart-Assist Devices*
Heparin / adverse effects*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Plasmapheresis / methods*
Thrombocytopenia / chemically induced*
Thrombocytopenia / complications
Thrombosis / etiology
Thrombosis / therapy*

Substances

Anticoagulants
Heparin