Study Population and Patient Characteristics
Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for this single-center
study of FEES in adult patients (≥18 years of age and <90
years of age) undergoing durable LVAD placement. Patient informed
consent was obtained for postoperative FEES. Over a one-year period
(February 2019 – January 2020), 25 patients received a durable
ventricular assist device at the study institution; patients undergoing
biventricular assist device implantation were excluded. Six patients
undergoing durable LVAD placement were enrolled prospectively during the
study period. These patients underwent FEES within 72 hours of
extubation postoperatively. A group of 12 control patients also
undergoing durable LVAD placement but not FEES from the same one-year
period were evaluated for comparison.