Sentara offers the most common ventricular assist devices (VAD), a left ventricular device, to help your failing heart pump blood. An LVAD is a surgically implanted mechanical pump that helps your heart circulate blood when it becomes too weak to do so on its own. It’s placed inside the chest and connected to the heart and a power source that stays outside the body.
Depending on your health, an LVAD may:
- Provide critical support until a donor heart is available. You may hear the LVAD referred to as bridge-to-transplant therapy in this case.
- Support the heart long-term if you are not a candidate for a heart transplant or you do not wish to have one. Under these circumstances, we refer to the LVAD as “destination therapy.”
Some patients waiting for a heart transplant develop worsening heart failure symptoms even with medications or other therapies. In these cases, an LVAD can:
- Improve blood flow to vital organs (brain, kidneys, liver)
- Relieve symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue
- Allow you to gain strength and mobility before surgery
- Help you stay well enough to qualify and remain active on the transplant waiting list
Your transplant team will carefully assess your heart function, overall health, and timing on the waitlist before recommending an LVAD.
- Getting an LVAD requires open-heart surgery
- The surgery can be dangerous, and recovery can be long and hard
- Most patients stay in the hospital for a couple of weeks – some stay longer
- Patients and their caregivers need to attend education sessions to learn how to use the device equipment
Having an LVAD requires adjustment, but patients often find that it greatly improves energy and quality of life. You’ll learn how to:
- Care for your driveline (the cable exiting your abdomen that connects to the power supply)
- Manage power sources, batteries, and equipment
- Recognize signs of infection or device issues
- Continue light activities, travel, or cardiac rehab as approved by your care team
You’ll receive comprehensive education from Sentara’s LVAD specialists and 24/7 support from your transplant coordinators and device team.
If you are waiting for a heart transplant while on an LVAD, when a donor heart becomes available, your LVAD is removed during the transplant surgery. The LVAD helps keep your body strong enough for this operation, and your transplant surgeon will replace the mechanical pump with your new donor heart in the same procedure.
After transplant, your care shifts from device management to post-transplant recovery and medication management to ensure your new heart functions well.
Patient-centered transplant care
Heart transplants are performed at Sentara Heart Hospital, a nationally recognized center.