Ventricular Assist Devices

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Ventricular assist device

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Mayo Clinic doctors trained in heart disease (cardiologists) and heart surgeons (cardiac surgeons) evaluate your condition to determine if a ventricular assist device (VAD) is the most appropriate treatment for your condition. Your treatment team will discuss the ventricular assist device with you and teach you how the VAD works and how to live with the VAD.

At Mayo Clinic, doctors may implant VADs in people who have weakened hearts or heart failure. Ventricular assist devices are mechanical devices that support the lower left heart chamber (left ventricular assist devices), the lower right heart chamber (right ventricular assist devices) or both lower heart chambers (biventricular assist devices). Your doctor may recommend a VAD for one of several purposes, including:

• Bridge to transplant. If you're waiting for a donor heart to become available for a heart transplant, your surgeon may implant a VAD to support your heart prior to transplant.
• Bridge to recovery. Your surgeon may implant a VAD to help your heart recover before, during or after heart surgery and later remove the device. Also, you may have a VAD implanted to treat reversible forms of heart failure.
• Destination therapy. In some people who aren't candidates for heart transplants, your surgeon may implant a VAD as a long-term treatment to support your heart's circulation.

To implant a VAD, your surgeon makes an incision in your chest and opens your ribcage to operate. Your heart will be stopped during the surgery, and you'll be connected to a heart-lung bypass machine to help keep blood flowing through your body during surgery. After your VAD is implanted, your surgeon will remove the heart-lung bypass machine, and your VAD will begin pumping blood through your heart.

VAD implantation has risks, including blood clots, bleeding, infection, device malfunctions or other complications. However, after VAD implantation you may experience improved quality of life, stabilized heart condition, improved organ function and preparedness for heart transplant.