Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVAD) is common. Capsule endoscopy (CE) can be used in the diagnosis of obscure GIB. Safety and outcomes of CE in patients with CF-LVAD are unknown. The aim is to define the safety and outcomes of CE in this population. Paitents with CF-LVAD undergoing CE at a single center between 2007 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-four CE studies were performed. Positive CE occurred in 19 studies. No clinically significant cardiac events occurred. Medical intervention was the most common management strategy. Rebleeding after CE occurred in 10 patients. Patients with active bleeding or lesions such as arteriovenous malformations (AVM) incurred a higher risk of rebleeding, transfusion, and repeated endoscopy. CE is safe in patients with CF-LVAD. The risk of rebleeding was more common in patients with active bleeding or AVM lesions although this result did not reach statistical significance.
Keywords: Arteriovenous malformations; Capsule endoscopy; Gastrointestinal hemorrhage; Heart-assist devices; Medical device safety.