Linksventrikuläre Unterstützungssysteme

Because of the lack of organs for heart transplantations, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become more and more important during the last few years. They are used for both bridging the time until transplantation as well as destination therapy for patients who are not able or willing to undergo a heart transplantation. Forensic and clinical pathologists will increasingly be confronted with fatalities of patients with LVADs. Beside natural causes of death and typical unavoidable complications, technical problems and user errors must be resolved. Under certain circumstances a suicidal or homicidal manner of death by manipulation of the device also has to be considered.