Development of a hub-and-spoke durable left ventricular assist device program in Brazil, a middle-income country.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In middle-income countries, costs limit widespred use of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a strategy for end-stage heart failure. We aim to describe the experience of a LVAD program in a middle-income country in a hub-and-spoke model.

Methods

Patients fulfilling strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were referred from different centers in Brazil for LVAD implantation through a philanthropy program financed via a Brazilian Federal Government tax exemption structure. LVAD implantation was performed in a hub-and-spoke model with a single implanting center. Data were collected retrospectively using hospital records and telephone contact with other centers. Patients who received LVAD implants external to the philanthropic program, either at this or other Braz

SUBMITTER: Belfort DSP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11935476 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature