Ventricular Assist Device
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Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) are a type of mechanical circulatory device used to treat advanced heart failure. Patients with heart failure have a weakened heart muscle and the heart is unable to adequately pump blood through the body. A VAD is a mechanical pump that helps blood circulate from the heart to the rest of the body and is implanted with open heart surgery. This can be a life-sustaining therapy.
While many cardiologists can manage heart failure with medications, advanced care like VADs require the expertise and coordination of specialized centers. Some reasons for patients with heart failure to consider a VAD include:
- Difficulty walking one block without shortness of breath despite medical therapies
- Two hospitalizations in the past 6 months despite medical therapies
- Inability to tolerate medications due to low blood pressure
- Slow decline in kidney function
Preparation for Surgery
The decision to pursue VAD implantation is made between a patient and their family with the guidance of a multidisciplinary team, including cardiac surgeons, heart failure cardiologists, advanced practice providers, perfusionists, nurses, social worker, dietician, biomedical engineers, physical and occupational therapists, among other specialists.
VAD implantation surgery is performed by a specially trained cardiac surgeon. It is an open-heart surgery that is performed under general anesthesia in a state-of-the-art operating room. Following the surgery, patients are monitored in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and then cardiac step-down unit through hospital discharge.