Internal BiVAD (n = 538)

External BiVAD (n = 727)

p value

Age, years (standard deviation)

49.5 (13.2)

52.4 (15.2)

0.098

Female, n (%)

99 (18.4%)

219 (30.1%)

0.024

Race, n (%)

0.03

     White

312 (66.9%)

407 (61.5%)

     Black

89 (19.0%)

101 (15.2%)

     Hispanic

40 (8.6%)

55 (8.3%)

     Asian or Pacific Islander

11 (2.3%)

29 (4.4%)

     Native American

5 (1.0%

5 (0.8%)

     Other

10 (2.1%)

65 (9.9%)

     Missing

72 (13.4%)

64 (8.8%)

Comorbidities, n (%)

Coronary artery disease

119 (22.1%)

327 (44.9%)

< 0.001

Myocardial infarction

93 (17.4%)

299 (41.2%)

< 0.001

    Chronic pulmonary disease

34 (6.3%)

78 (10.7%)

0.236

    Iron deficiency anemia

70 (12.9%)

102 (14.1%)

0.788

    Chronic blood loss anemia

10 (1.9%)

5 (0.7%)

0.386

    Coagulopathy

250 (46.5%)

356 (49.0%)

0.765

    Diabetes

79 (14.7%)

144 (19.8%)

0.269

    Hypertension

148 (27.5%)

228 (31.4%)

0.438

    Hypothyroidism

15 (2.8%)

39 (5.4%)

0.31

    Liver disease

30 (5.5%)

20 (2.8%)

0.242

    Lymphoma

10 (1.9%)

24 (3.3%)

0.463

    Fluid and electrolyte disorders

356 (66.2%)

435 (59.9%)

0.271

    Metastatic cancer

0 (0.0%)

5 (0.6%)

0.393

    Obesity

65 (12.0%)

63 (8.7%)

0.5

    Peripheral vascular disorders

45 (8.4%)

77 (10.6%)

0.517

    Pulmonary circulatory disorders

0 (0.0%)

38 (5.3%)

0.014

    Renal failure

194 (36.1%)

117 (16.1%)

< 0.001

    Valvular disease

0 (0.0%)

52 (7.2%)

0.003

Insurance, n (%)

0.768

     Medicare

172 (31.9%)

219 (30.1%)

     Medicaid

44 (8.3%)

131 (18.0%)

     Private insurance

298 (55.5%)

313 (43.1%)

Self pay

9 (1.7%)

25 (3.4%)

     Other

14 (2.6%)

39 (5.4%)

Bed size of hospital, n (%)

0.119

    Small

9 (1.8%)

18 (2.5%)

    Medium

43 (7.9%)

107 (14.7%)

    Large

486 (90.3%)

601 (82.8%)

Location and teaching status, n (%)

< 0.001

    Rural

0 (0.0%)

30 (4.1%)

    Urban non-teaching

9 (1.7%)

83 (11.4%)

    Urban Teaching

528 (98.3%)

614 (84.4%)

Region of hospital, n (%)

0.002

    Northeast

80 (14.9%)

262 (36.0%)

    Midwest

111 (20.7%)

94 (13.0%)

    South

169 (31.4%)

200 (27.6%)

    West

178 (33.0%)

170 (23.4%)

Disposition of patient, n (%)

0.026

    Routine

127 (23.7%)

80 (11.0%)

    Transfer to short-term hospital

24 (4.4%)

86 (11.8%)

    Transfer to nursing home

45 (8.4%)

64 (8.8%)

Home healthcare

98 (18.2%)

67 (9.2%)

Elective admissions, n (%)

77 (14.3%)

157 (21.6%)

0.119

Died during hospitalization, n (%)

244 (45.4%)

430 (59.1%)

0.022

Length of stay, days (95% CI)

64.0 (32.0, 119.0)

20.0 (6.0, 36.0)

< 0.001

Cost, $

468321.3 ± 286928.0

208809.9 ± 134796.6

< 0.001

Complications, n (%)

    Transfusion

107 (19.9%)

185 (25.4%)

0.396

Gastrointestinal bleed

75 (14.0%)

74 (10.1%)

0.351

    Hemoperitoneum

20 (3.7%)

15 (2.1%)

0.414

    Intracranial bleed

50 (9.3%)

59 (8.2%)

0.738

    Hemolytic anemia

24 (4.5%)

5 (0.7%)

0.038

    Vascular complication

15 (2.8%)

26 (3.6%)

0.789

    Acute renal failure

460 (85.6%)

538 (74.0%)

0.02

    Dialysis

126 (23.4%)

108 (14.9%)

0.088

    Mechanical complication

15 (2.7%)

33 (4.5%)

0.43

    Systemic embolism

110 (20.4%)

88 (12.1%)

0.072

    Post-op stroke or transient ischemic attack

25 (4.6%)

24 (3.3%)

0.605

    Implant-related infection

35 (6.4%)

23 (3.2%)

0.432

    Post-op wound infection

25 (4.7%)

20 (2.7%)

0.405