Intraoperative prothrombin complex concentrate administration and outcomes in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation

Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) administration has increased among cardiac surgery patients in recent years; however, use in LVAD implantation/exchange is not widespread due to the fear of thrombotic complications. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing LVAD implantation/exchange with intraoperative PCC administration versus traditional transfusion practices alone. Adult LVAD implants/exchanges at our institution between 2015 and 2018 were included. Patients were categorized as receiving intraoperative PCC or no-PCC (traditional). The primary outcome was the need for allogenic transfusion and transfusion volume at 48 hours after initial intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Secondary outcomes included metrics of morbidity and mortality. A total of 160 patients (39 PCC, 121 traditional) were analyzed. In unadjusted analysis, patients in the PCC group received lower intraoperative transfusion volumes compared to the traditional group although not statistically significant (1464 mL [IQR 796, 4876] vs. 2568 mL [IQR 1292, 3606]; P value.37). In the fully adjusted analysis, patients in the PCC group had increased odds of transfusion within 48 hours of ICU admission (OR 4.06, 95% CI: 1.35-12.20; P <.01); however, there was no significant difference in transfusion volumes (P =.09). Patients receiving PCCs had higher incidence of deep vein thrombosis (10.3% vs. 0%; P <.01) and 30-day mortality (17.9% vs. 4.1%; P <.01). LVAD pump thrombosis occurred in 2.6% versus 0.8% in the PCC and traditional groups, respectively; P =.98. Patients undergoing LVAD implantation and exchange represent a complex surgical cohort. The results of this study suggest that the intraoperative PCC use during LVAD implant/exchange was associated with reduced intraoperative transfusions. Intraoperative PCC use was, however, associated with higher odds of postoperative transfusion, although transfusion volumes were not significantly different. While the deep vein thrombosis and 30-day mortality rates were higher in the PCC group, these results are likely related to the degree of surgical and patient complexity rather than PCC use itself. Further studies are needed to assess PCC use in this surgical cohort.