Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation in Pediatric Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with Advanced Heart Failure: A Single-Center Study

Objective Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a male-predominant childhood-onset disease with progressive myopathy and cardiomyopathy, carries a > 30% 2-year mortality in advanced heart failure (HF) despite standard therapies. While left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) improve adult HF outcomes, pediatric DMD-LVAD data remain scarce, warranting further investigation of short-to medium-term safety and effectiveness of LVADs in children with DMD with advanced heart failure. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 4 Corheart 6 LVAD implantation of pediatric DMD patients with advanced heart failure at a single center from January 2024 and December 2025. Baseline characteristics, surgical details, post-operative management, and survival, cardiac function, complications during 1–24 months of follow-up were recorded. Results All 4 pediatric patients survived during the follow-up. The primary complication was 1 gastrointestinal bleeding, with no complications in other 3 patients. Different genotypes have no significant impact on prognosis. Conclusion Corheart 6 LVADs are safe in the short-to medium-term for children with DMD and advanced heart failure, improving cardiac function and prolonging survival; however, attention should be paid to DMD-related specific complications.