Kardiol Pol. 2026 Mar 10. doi: 10.33963/v.phj.111551. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Heart failure affects over 1.2 million Polish citizens. Although the current implantation rate of 3.3 left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) per million population remains below the European average, if the upward trend is maintained, Poland may soon reach the level of mid-range European countries (4-6 LVADs per million).
AIMS: The national registry aimed to provide systematic oversight of the Polish LVAD population along with treatment outcomes.
METHODS: A prospective multicenter observational registry of all consecutive LVAD patients undergoing LVAD implantation between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024. Data were compared to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) registry.
RESULTS: From January 2022 to December 2024, 266 adult patients received LVAD in Poland. There has been approximately 40% year-to-year increase in LVAD utilization. The cohort consisted predominantly of men (96.1%) with a median age of 57.76 (49.80-64.53) years. In contrast, in the STS-Intermacs registry women represented 21.9%. Ischemic cardiomyopathy was markedly more common (60.8%) in POL-LVAD registry on contrary to non-ischemic on STS registry (54.2%). Polish recipients presented with a significantly lower clinical acuity, with Intermacs profiles 1-3 accounting only for 55%-68% of implants, compared with nearly 90% in the STS cohort. Moreover, unlike the STS registry - where destination therapy accounted for over 80% of implants-the Polish cohort was dominated with a bridge-to-transplantation strategy (72%). During median follow-up of 471 days (interquartile range 283-729) 69 patients died, and 26 underwent heart transplantation, which translates into an actual probability of survival of 81%, 71% and 64% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively, and is comparable to STS-Intermacs registry. Age was the main survival discriminator in the Polish cohort.
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of the Polish National Mechanical Circulatory Support Registry. The POL-LVAD registry shows a dynamic growth of LVAD therapy in Poland, with survival outcomes comparable to the STS registry.
PMID:41806105 | DOI:10.33963/v.phj.111551