Ventricular assist device
A mechanical pump that takes over the function of the damaged ventricle of the heart and restores normal blood flow.
Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) were originally developed for patients with heart disease from which they were not expected to recover and who needed mechanical support as a bridge to a heart transplant. LVADs were then used in patients with heart failure who needed ventricular assistance to allow the heart to rest and recover its function. This permitted a meaningfully longer survival and an improved quality of life. LVADs also provide an alternative treatment for patients with advanced heart failure who are not candidates for cardiac transplantation. The devises cost about $60,000 each in 2003 with an additional $150,000 in hospitalization charges.
Read Also:
- Ventricular fibrillation
An abnormal and irregular heart rhythm in which there are rapid uncoordinated fluttering contractions of the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. Ventricular fibrillation disrupts the synchrony between the heartbeat and the pulse beat. Ventricular fibrillation is commonly associated with heart attacks and scarring of the heart muscle from previous heart attacks. Ventricular fibrillation is […]
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
A hole in the septum (the wall) between the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). Ventricular Septal Defect is the most common type of heart malformation (congenital heart disease). At least 1 baby in every 500 is born with a VSD. A VSD lets blood from the left ventricle (where it is under relatively […]
- Ventricular septum
The wall between the two lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
- Ventricular tachycardia
An abnormal heart rhythm that is rapid and regular and that originates from an area of the lower chamber (ventricle) of the heart. Ventricular tachycardias can be life-threatening arrhythmias that are commonly associated with damage to the heart muscle due to coronary artery disease.
- Ventriculopleural shunt
A shunt that drains fluid from a cerebral ventricle into the pleural (chest) cavity. The shunt is designed to relieve hydrocephalus (“water on the brain”).