Every day more Doctors are turning to the LVAD ( Left Ventricular Assist Device) as an alternative to a heart transplant. Many people with heart failure are not good candidates for heart transplants and because there are not enough donated hearts, the list has to be narrowed down very carefully to receive a donor heart. The patient may not be considered a good candidate for a heart transplant if they smoke or have an alcohol abuse problem, have an infection, cancer, bad diabetes, or if all organs are not healthy. In fact, it cannot be performed at all if any of those issues are in occurrence.(Michael C. Fishbein, MD "Heart Transplant: Who needs a heart transplant")
This brings me to my first reason why an LVAD is a better alternative than a heart transplant. Many …show more content…
It can take years to receive a donor heart and most people with that level of heart failure do not have years to wait for a new heart.(Mancini D, Colombo PC." Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Rapidly Evolving Alternative to Transplant.") This is where the LVAD comes in , it provides a bridge so to say, to the patient waiting for the heart.( Point 1 in "What is a left ventricular assist device (LVAD)?") It keeps them stable until they can receive their donor heart.
On August 15th of 2000 in Pittsburgh there was a case where a man with heart disease had a heart attack and was placed on a donor list to receive a new heart. While waiting for his heart an LVAD was installed and 4 weeks later tests showed that his heart was getting better. A few weeks later he was taken off of the donor list and his LVAD was surgically removed. Because of the LVAD, his heart improved significantly and he no longer needed it or a new heart. ("The LVAD"
This brings me to my first reason why an LVAD is a better alternative than a heart transplant. Many …show more content…
It can take years to receive a donor heart and most people with that level of heart failure do not have years to wait for a new heart.(Mancini D, Colombo PC." Left Ventricular Assist Devices: A Rapidly Evolving Alternative to Transplant.") This is where the LVAD comes in , it provides a bridge so to say, to the patient waiting for the heart.( Point 1 in "What is a left ventricular assist device (LVAD)?") It keeps them stable until they can receive their donor heart.
On August 15th of 2000 in Pittsburgh there was a case where a man with heart disease had a heart attack and was placed on a donor list to receive a new heart. While waiting for his heart an LVAD was installed and 4 weeks later tests showed that his heart was getting better. A few weeks later he was taken off of the donor list and his LVAD was surgically removed. Because of the LVAD, his heart improved significantly and he no longer needed it or a new heart. ("The LVAD"