Services
ventricular assist devices
Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) are mechanical pumps that are used to support heart function in patients with advanced heart failure. These devices are implanted surgically and help the heart pump blood throughout the body when it is unable to do so effectively on its own.
There are different types of VADs, but they generally work by either assisting the heart's pumping action (such as in cases of left ventricular assist devices, LVADs) or by taking over the pumping function entirely (such as in total artificial heart, TAH).
Here are some reasons why VADs are used and their benefits:
- Bridge to Transplant: VADs can serve as a temporary solution for patients awaiting heart transplantation. They help keep patients alive and stable while they wait for a suitable donor heart.
- Destination Therapy: In some cases where heart transplantation is not an option due to various reasons, VADs can be used as long-term therapy to improve the patient's quality of life and survival.
- Bridge to Recovery: For some patients, especially those experiencing acute heart failure, VADs can provide temporary support while the heart heals and recovers its function.
- Improved Quality of Life: VADs can significantly improve symptoms associated with heart failure such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and fluid retention, thereby enhancing the patient's quality of life.
- Increased Survival: VADs can prolong survival in patients with advanced heart failure who are not responsive to other treatments.
- Reduced Hospitalizations: By improving heart function, VADs can reduce the need for hospitalizations related to heart failure exacerbations.
- Mobility and Independence: Some advanced VADs are portable and allow patients to engage in more activities and lead a more normal life compared to being confined to a hospital or bed due to severe heart failure.
Overall, VADs can be life-saving devices for patients with advanced heart failure, offering them a chance at a better quality of life and increased survival while they await heart transplantation or as a long-term therapy option.