Mayo Clinic's approach
Mayo Clinic VAD team
A team of doctors and other staff discusses ventricular assist device (VAD) care.
Related information
Ventricular Assist Device — VAD — Mayo Clinic
- Experience. Mayo Clinic doctors trained in heart disease (cardiologists) and heart surgeons (cardiac surgeons) have extensive experience treating people who may need ventricular assist devices (VADs).
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Heart failure treatment expertise. Mayo Clinic offers multiple innovative treatments for people with advanced heart failure, including offering ventricular assist devices as a treatment option for restrictive cardiomyopathy and other complex conditions. Mayo doctors have experience and expertise treating a wide range of conditions, including heart failure, restrictive cardiomyopathy, amyloidosis and high-risk complex conditions.
Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota each offer a Heart Failure Clinic staffed by a team of cardiologists and other specialists trained in evaluating and treating heart failure.
- Multidisciplinary team. Mayo Clinic doctors with training in a wide array of specialties collaborate as a multidisciplinary team to provide coordinated, comprehensive care. Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons may work with nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical therapists, social workers and others to provide your care.
- Individualized approach. Doctors at Mayo Clinic provide care for you as a whole person. Doctors take the time to get to know you and work with you to provide exactly the care you need.
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Surgical expertise. Mayo cardiovascular surgeons have experience and expertise in performing surgery to implant ventricular assist devices. Surgeons can implant a variety of devices, and they can work with you to choose the most appropriate option for you.
Mayo Clinic is one of a few centers in the United States to offer all available device options, offering you a wide range of possible ventricular assist devices.
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All devices available at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic offers all available approved ventricular assist devices, including:
- HeartMate II
- SynCardia TAH
- Berlin Heart EXCOR Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device
Mayo Clinic also offers investigational ventricular assist devices, including:
- HeartAssist 5
- 50cc SynCardia TAH
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Research and innovation. Mayo Clinic researchers conduct ongoing studies and clinical trials to improve ventricular assist devices, and they have published a large volume of publications regarding VADs. Mayo Clinic researchers have been primary investigators in many national trials for ventricular assist devices.
Mayo researchers test investigational devices in clinical trials. You may have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials of investigational devices.
For example, researchers are studying a miniature ventricular assist device that may be available in clinical trials in the future.
Also, Mayo surgeons have used their expertise to develop innovative, unusual designs of ventricular assist devices to use in specific cases. In one situation, surgeons implanted an internal left ventricular assist device and an external right ventricular assist device in a person.
- Accessible locations. Mayo Clinic offers geographic accessibility to Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota from most locations. Each of these three sites can be accessed by nearby international airports.
- Pediatric care. In some instances, children may be candidates for ventricular assist device implantation. Specialists trained in pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery care for children who have heart disease at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota.
The Mayo Clinic experience and patient stories
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Expertise and rankings
Mayo Clinic VAD care team
A team of doctors and other staff use technology while discussing ventricular assist device (VAD) care.
Expertise
Mayo Clinic cardiologists and cardiac surgeons have expertise in treating people who may need ventricular assist devices (VADs). Mayo Clinic consistently ranks at a high level for survival in treatment outcomes for ventricular assist devices.
Mayo Clinic offers one of the largest groups of cardiac surgeons and cardiologists trained in ventricular assist devices in the nation. Mayo doctors implant more than 100 ventricular assist devices each year.
Mayo Clinic care team
Mayo doctors and other staff collaborate as a team to care for people who may need ventricular assist devices.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz., and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., are ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Children's Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.
With Mayo Clinic's emphasis on collaborative care, specialists at each of the campuses — Minnesota, Arizona and Florida — interact very closely with colleagues at the other campuses and the Mayo Clinic Health System.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic's cardiovascular surgery and cardiovascular medicine departments' expertise and rankings.
Locations, travel and lodging
Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
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Costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals, or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.
Clinical trials
Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this disease.