A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is:
- For patients who have a weak heart or have end-stage heart failure
- Also called a battery-operated pump
- A mechanical pump that pumps blood from the left ventricle of the heart through the body
- Put into the patient’s chest and connected by a tube (driveline) to a controller and battery pack through an opening in the patient’s stomach
- Called a Bridge to Transplant, because it keeps very sick patients alive while they wait for a heart transplant
- Called Destination Therapy when used for patients who are not eligible for transplant (because of age, weight, lifestyle, and medical risk)
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