Resolution of Sleep-Disordered Breathing with a Biventricular Assist Device and Recurrence after Heart Transplantation

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common in chronic heart failure. Both obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and central sleep apnea with periodic Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSA-CSR) can occur. CSA-CSR is believed to correlate with heart function. Little information exists about the impact of mechanical assist devices and head transplantation on SDB in patients with end-stage head failure. Here, we describe, for the first time, the effects on SDB of a biventricular external assist device and of heart transplantation used successively in the same patient.