For more information on our LVAD Program, call us at 832-355-2285


What is an LVAD?
Physicians at St. Luke's Cooley Transplant Center and the Texas Heart Institute believe that an LVAD is the first acceptable solution for long-term support of heart failure patients because it allows them to leave the hospital and return to active, productive lives.

LVAD is known as a left ventricular assist device because it helps the left ventricle – the heart's main pumping chamber – circulate blood throughout the body. The device consists of a pump that is implanted in the abdomen, which has an electrical cable that connects to external battery packs. The packs are worn on the shoulders and electronic controls are worn on the belt.

Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is among the nation’s first cardiovascular centers to offer the Thoratec HeartMate® XVE and the  HeartMate®  II  LVAD, left ventricular assist device, as a permanent implant—called destination therapy—for end-stage congestive heart failure patients who do not qualify for heart transplantation due to age or other health circumstances.

LVAD as a Treatment Option
The FDA approved the HeartMate® LVAD for destination therapy based on results of the landmark REMATCH clinical trial that demonstrated the device nearly doubled and tripled survival at one and two years respectively, and improved quality of life in this patient group. Physicians at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital’s Cooley Transplant Center and the Texas Heart Institute have implanted over 640 LVAD devices since 1986.

The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital originated the laboratory and clinical research on all LVAD pumps including the HeartMate® XVE, HeartMate® II, Jarvik, and HeartMate®, and implanted the first 20 HeartMate® LVADs in the world. O.H. “Bud” Frazier, MD, and his team initiated the research which led to the REMATCH study and have implanted more of the devices than any other heart center worldwide.

If you suffer from congestive heart failure and want to know if you may be a candidate for an LVAD as a permanent implant, please contact us at 832-355-2285 or toll free at 877-685-0361.




"The devices we've been developing and testing are either ventricular assist    devices or artificial hearts. They are all pumps of some type, but they each work differently for a specific function," explains Dr. Frazier, who has been instrumental in the development of many of the devices.






How does an LVAD work?
The LVAD is called a left ventricular assist device because it helps the left ventricle – the heart's main pumping chamber – circulate blood throughout the body. The device consists of a pump that is implanted in the abdomen, which has an electrical cable that connects to external battery packs. The packs are worn on the shoulders and electronic controls are worn on the belt.

What is Congestive Heart Failure?
More than 4 million Americans have congestive heart failure, a chronic condition in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. The disease causes fatigue and shortness of breath as fluid accumulates in the lungs and tissues. Leading causes of heart failure are damage to heart muscle from coronary artery disease or high blood pressure.

Those at risk for developing CHF have the following:

• Coronary heart disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Previous heart attacks
• High blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat
• Congenital heart defects
• Heart valve disease
• Alcohol and drug abuse

What are the treatment options available for heart failure?

• Medical Therapy
• Biventricular Pacemaker Device
• Left Ventricular Assist Device
• Orthotopic or heterotopic heart transplantation

LEARN MORE ABOUT
The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital

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