Cangrelor: Safe and Effective for Left Ventricular Assist Device Thrombosis

Authors

Roopa Rao, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, INFollow
Eve Anderson, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Mark Jones, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Muhamed Safiia, Community Health Network, Indianapolis, IN
Maya Guglin, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, INFollow

Document Type

Case Report

Abstract

Pump thrombosis is a devastating complication of left ventricular assist device implantation as it increases the risk of mortality and morbidity. Early and effective treatment is important to prevent the progression of the clot and to avoid the surgical need for pump exchange or heart transplant. The current strategies of intensifying anticoagulation therapy are not consistently effective and carry significant bleeding risks. Cangrelor is a new pharmacological agent that has been utilized as an antiplatelet agent in several cardiac procedures. In this case series, we describe the use of cangrelor for left ventricular assist device thrombosis in five patients. Cangrelor appears to be a potentially safe and effective alternative strategy.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Recommended Citation

Rao, Roopa; Anderson, Eve; Jones, Mark; Safiia, Muhamed; and Guglin, Maya (2020) "Cangrelor: Safe and Effective for Left Ventricular Assist Device Thrombosis," The VAD Journal: Vol. 6(2) :e2020621 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11589/vad/e2020621

Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/vad/vol6/iss2/1

First Page

e2020621