Aspirin and Hemocompatibility Events in Chronic Advanced Heart Failure Patients With Assist Device

Heart failure is a world epidemic. LVADs are increasingly used as they have demonstrated improved survival rates compared to optimal medical management. Improving outcomes have been seen with the newer LVAD technology, the HeartMate 3 (Abbott, Chicago, IL), however, hemocompatibility related adverse events, including thrombosis and bleeding, are still a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The recent ARIES trial showed that in patients with advanced heart failure treated with a HeartMate3 LVAD, avoidance of aspirin as part of an antithrombotic regimen, which includes vitamin K antagonist (VKA), is not inferior to a regimen containing aspirin, does not increase thromboembolism risk, and is associated with a reduction in bleeding events. This clinical investigation is a prospective, randomized, controlled study of advanced heart failure patients supports with the HeartMate3 for more then 3 months with two different antithrombotic regimens: VKA with and without aspirin. The objective of this investigation is to study the safety and efficacy of an antithrombotic regimen without antiplatelet therapy.