Long‐term ungrounded cable support for short‐to‐shield syndrome

Abstract

Short‐to‐shield (STS) is a potential complication for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients supported by the HeartMate II (HMII) pump. This phenomenon occurs when a damaged internal wire within the driveline makes contact with the surrounding sheath, resulting in insufficient power delivery to the motor when connected to a grounded power base unit (PBU). An ungrounded cable can be used to negate these effects, but the long‐term safety of this treatment strategy is unknown. In this case series, we present our institutional experience treating 17 STS patients with an ungrounded cable. In total, we present 4922 patient‐days (13.4 patient‐years) of ungrounded cable support after primary STS treatment. There were no deaths or complications related to STS. These data suggest that the long‐term use of an ungrounded cable is a reasonable treatment option for patients who cannot or do not wish to undergo pump exchange or splice repair.

Mechanical Device Malfunction of the HeartMate II Versus the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device: The Rotterdam Experience

“…20 This eliminates the short to shield, but still leaves the possibility of a phase to phase short which could also lead to a pump stop. 21 In the HM 3 driveline this copper shield has been eliminated and is replaced by a tough synthetic fiber protection layer. Our study showed no driveline failures during follow-up in the HM 3 devices, albeit with a shorter follow-up, suggesting the increased reliability of the fiber protection layer over the copper mesh.…”