Pre-operative Most LVADs are implanted in scheduled operations and require careful preparation of the patient for surgery, including an assessment by an anesthesiologist. The cardiologist in the coronary care unit (CCU) usually stabilizes and prepares the patient for surgery. Some patients will have invasive monitoring instituted in the CCU and will be supported with inotropes, vasopressors and IABP. In addition, recent laboratory results and assessment of the patient’s physical status are required. Patients are typically cross-matched for four units of blood. Peri-operative Ventricular assist devices require open-heart surgery for implantation. An incision is made through the breastbone to expose the heart. Heparin will be given to keep the patients blood from clotting. The blood is rerouted to a heart-lung machine that will pump and oxygenate blood. A pocket for the LVAD is formed in the abdominal wall. A tube is then used to channel blood from the ventricle to the LVAD. Another tube is used to connect the pump to the aorta. When the pump is adequately supporting the heart, the patient will be removed from the heart-lung machine and the chest will be closed. Post-operative During the REMATCH trial, several complications were reported for patients who received the LVAD. They reported post-operative pain after LVAD implantation. During an average 400 days of survival, 30 percent of the devices had an internal failure requiring another operation, and almost every patient who had a re-operation did not survive. Other adverse effects included bleeding, infection and lengthened hospital stays. Quality of Life (QoL) measures found that the LVAD group scored better or equal to the medical-therapy management group.
Destination therapy
Antisense therapy
Aversion therapy
Differentiation therapy
Collaborative therapy
Cytoluminescent therapy
Sex therapy
Recreational therapy