Conditions that require ventricular assist devices

Conditions that require ventricular assist devices for maintaining proper blood flow in the body

There are several heart conditions that require devices in order to help them in functioning. Ventricular assist device or VAD is one such device that helps the heart to pump blood from the lower chambers of the ventricles to the rest of the body; it is also known as a mechanical circulatory support device. In life-threatening conditions where the heart fails to pump properly and requires a heart transplant but due to unavailability of it, doctors usually use ventricular assist devices in order to help the heart to pump enough blood so that it gets transported properly in the body without any problem. Ventricular assist devices help in maintaining constant blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body; such a device has helped in saving millions of lives all around the globe. It is a common myth that a VAD takes the place of the heart. It is not true at all it is basically an assistive device that helps the heart transport the blood from the left ventricle to the aorta from where it gets transported to the rest of the body. It is just used to help or assess the heart in order to function properly; facts show that people who have LVAD have left a longer life and without it, survival had very minimal chances.

Conditions that require LVAD:

People who wait for a heart transplant: People who require a heart transplant have to wait for a long time as the availability is low and one cannot guess the time of its availability. But in the meantime and to save the patient's life a left ventricular assist device(LVAD)is used so that the heart is able to pump blood despite its damage. Many people do not require any heart transplant after this while some are unable to survive by the time they get the heart transplant.

Temporary heart failure: People who suffer from heart failure that is temporary require VAD in order to continue the smooth functioning of the heart. A doctor recommends implanting a VAD until the heart is able to function on its own again.

People who can't go for a heart transplant: The conditions in which a heart transplant is not an available option in such conditions could be the age factor or other factors such as chronic diseases that do not allow such a complicated procedure. In such cases, the doctor uses a ventricular assist device in order to treat the present heart condition of the patient and to avoid heart failure. This kind of arrangement has helped to improve the quality of life of several patients.

Risk factors:

There are several risk factors that are associated with every surgery similarly ventricular assist device also have few risks associated in its implantation; some of them might include the:

• Infection
• Excessive bleeding
• Faulty device
• Right heart failure
• Blood clots
• Nerve damage
• Arrhythmia
• Cerebrovascular accident

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