Advantage of Pulsatility in Left Ventricular Reverse Remodeling and Aortic Insufficiency Prevention During Left Ventricular Assist Device Treatment

Background:A continuous flow (CF) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has various advantages over a pulsatile flow (PF) LVAD, but the extent of preventing aortic insufficiency (AI) by each type of LVAD remains controversial.Methods and Results:Of 86 patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy who underwent LVAD implantation between 2006 and 2015, 20 propensity score-matched patients with PF LVADs and 20 with CF LVADs were enrolled in this study. There were no significant differences in the baseline variables of both groups. During the 6-month LVAD treatment, the LV ejection fraction of the PF group was significantly higher than that of the CF group; the PF group also had a wider pulse pressure and less enlargement of the aortic root (P