A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a mechanical pump that is implanted to help the heart pump blood throughout the body.
The VAD can be used as a bridge-to-transplant, which means it can help a patient survive until a donor heart becomes available for transplant. The device is an excellent option for patients with end-stage heart failure. It also can be used as destination therapy, which is an alternative to heart transplant, providing long-term support in patients who are not candidates for transplant.
Watch Shelley Hall, MD, chief of transplant cardiology and mechanical circulatory support at Baylor University Medical Center, discuss left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) treatments for advanced heart failure.