Heart Failure Treatment
Advanced-Stage Heart Failure Treatments
Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)
For advanced-stage heart failure patients, drug therapies may not be enough. And as heart failure progresses to an advanced-stage, namely NHYA Class III or Class IV, a VAD may become a consideration.
VADs, which help a weakened or damaged heart pump blood throughout the body, have emerged as a viable option for many patients. These heart pumps work with the failing heart to help it pump blood to the rest of the body. They are not a heart replacement, and your heart will continue to function.
VADs can assist the normal heart function, extend life and provide an improved quality of life for those with heart failure. A VAD may be used for short-term support while a patient is waiting for a donor heart for a bridge-to-transplantation. And for patients who are ineligible for a heart transplant, a VAD may be used for long-term or permanent support.
Heart failure studies have demonstrated that long-term use of VADs can help patients with severe heart failure live longer and enjoy an improved quality of life compared with those being treated with medication.1 In fact, patients supported with a ventricular assist device were 40% more likely to be alive at two years than those treated with optimal medical management (drug therapy) alone.1
1. Long JW, Kfoury AG, Slaughter MS, et al. Long-term destination therapy with the HeartMate XVE left ventricular assist device: improved outcomes since the REMATCH study. Congest Heart Fail. 2005;11(3):133-138.
