VAD
Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)
A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a mechanical device that is used to take over the pumping function for one or both of the heart's ventricles. A VAD may be necessary when heart failure progresses to the point that medications and other treatments are no longer effective.
For persons with severe or end-stage heart failure, ventricular assist devices (VADs) may be required to support the heart in order to ensure an adequate cardiac output (amount of blood pumped out by the heart per minute) to meet the body's needs.
Heart transplantation is an option for some patients with severe heart failure (HF), but during this late stage of HF, over 50 percent of persons on a waiting list for heart transplantation will die before receiving a donor heart. Organ donors are in short supply and do not meet the demand for patients waiting for heart transplant. The wait time for heart transplantation may often exceed 200 days.
Long wait times and decreased availability of donors strengthens the need to seek other methods to support the failing heart. Patients may die waiting for a transplant or important organs such as the liver and kidney may become permanently damaged before a donor heart is available. VADs have shown great promise in maintaining adequate blood circulation in cases of severe HF.
VADs may be used for the following situations:
- bridge to transplant - implantation of a VAD to support the patient with end-stage HF who is waiting for heart transplantation.
- bridge to recovery - implantation of a VAD to support the patient with potentially reversible HF. Once the heart has recovered sufficiently, the VAD may be removed.
- destination therapy - implantation of a VAD to support the patient with end-stage HF who is not a candidate for heart transplantation. A portable VAD may be used in this situation so that the patient may be discharged from the hospital and return home.
Some VADs are designed to support the right heart alone (right ventricular assist device, or RVAD) or both ventricles (biventricular assist device, or BiVAD), but commonly the left ventricle (left ventricular support device, or LVAD) is the primary point of support.
VADs are most commonly implanted during an open heart surgical procedure.
Research advances
The Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Program at OHSU participates in cutting edge research as part of its mission to improve the care of patients with heart failure. Because of this, OHSU patients have access to the latest research and clinical trials—including next-generation devices such as the HeartWare Left Ventricular Assist System.
Outstanding clinical outcomes
OHSU heart transplant survival has historically exceeded that of national benchmarks. Our outcomes for LVAD patients also are exceptional and place OHSU in the top ten for hospitals participating in the University HealthSystem Consortium.
Contact OHSU Heart & Vascular Care to learn more about VAD surgery
