Opening of aortic valve during exercise is key to preventing development of aortic insufficiency during ventricular assist device treatment

Although we previously demonstrated that opening of the native aortic valve (AV) at rest prevents development of aortic insufficiency (AI) during continuous-flow (CF) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support, the clinical impact of native AV opening during exercise remained unknown. We enrolled 37 patients with a closed native AV at rest 3 months after CF LVAD implantation and followed them from 2006 to 2014. Seven patients (19%) who achieved opening of the native AV during cardiopulmonary exercise testing at 3 months (opening AV group) had higher exercise tolerability and improved left ventricular contractility during exercise compared with those with a closed native AV (closed AV group) (p < 0.05 for all). The opening group experienced no AI at 6 months and had a higher readmission-free rate because of cardiovascular events compared with the closed group during the 2 years study period (100% vs. 56%, p = 0.005). Among those with a closed AV, use of the centrifugal pump was a significant predictor of AI-free status (p < 0.05; odds ratio, 5.400). In conclusion, opening of the native AV during exercise and centrifugal pump use were key to preventing the development of AI. Aggressive cardiac rehabilitation may have a prophylactic impact on development of AI during CF LVAD treatment.