ventricular assist device

Imagine a strong booster pump installed alongside a failing water pump, taking over most of the pushing so water still reaches the whole house. A ventricular assist device is a mechanical pump implanted to help a weakened heart chamber move blood through the body when the heart can no longer do enough on its own.

Most commonly a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is used: a pump is connected to draw blood from the left ventricle and propel it into the aorta, supplementing or largely replacing the failing ventricle’s output. The pump runs continuously and is powered by a driveline that passes through the skin to an external controller and batteries the person carries.

VADs are used in advanced heart failure as a bridge to heart transplantation, or as long-term (“destination”) therapy for those who are not transplant candidates. They can dramatically improve symptoms and survival, but require lifelong anticoagulation and meticulous care, and carry risks including bleeding, infection at the driveline, clots, and stroke. They support the heart mechanically; they do not reverse the underlying disease.