HeartMate LVAD Resources & FAQs

resources

LVAD FAQs

What is an LVAD?

LVAD stands for Left Ventricular Assist Device. It is a mechanical device that circulates blood throughout the body when the heart is too weak to pump blood adequately on its own. It is sometimes called a “heart pump” or “VAD.”

Is an LVAD an artificial heart?

No. An LVAD is not an artificial heart, nor is it a heart replacement. The patient’s native heart is not removed. The LVAD attaches to the heart and is designed to assist – or take over - the pumping function of the patient’s left ventricle - the main pumping chamber of the heart.

How does an LVAD work?

An LVAD is designed to supplement the pumping function of the heart. It is attached to the left ventricle and the aorta - the main artery that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the entire body. An external, wearable system that includes a small controller and two batteries is attached by an external driveline. The system is either worn under or on top of clothing.

How does an LVAD help a heart failure patient?

An LVAD is designed to restore blood flow throughout the body, enabling the patient to breathe more easily and feel less fatigued. The recipient’s organs will receive more blood than they did before receiving the LVAD, and this will likely improve their organ function. Most people who have an LVAD are able to live at home, move freely, enjoy favorite activities and even return to work or school¹.

1. My LVAD, How life changes with and LVAD. https://www.mylvad.com/node/23401.

How will an LVAD affect my daily routine?

Most patients describe a marked improvement in their quality of life following VAD implantation², yet it is a big change for both recipients and caregivers. There is much to learn and it will take some time for you both to adjust. Today’s LVADs are lightweight and smaller than earlier models, so you’ll most likely be able to move around fairly easily, get certain kinds of moderate exercise and enjoy intimacy with your spouse or partner³.

2. Givertz, M. (2011). Ventricular Assist Devices. Important information for patients and families. Circulation: Heart Failure, 124:e305-e311. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.018226
3. My LVAD, How life changes with and LVAD. https://www.mylvad.com/node/23401

Can I shower with an LVAD?

Swimming and bathing are not allowed because some components of the HeartMate II™ LVAD and the HeartMate 3™ LVAD are outside of the body and cannot be submerged in water. Showering is possible with a specially designed shower kit. Ask your healthcare provider for more specific instructions on showering.

Can I exercise with an LVAD?

Many patients are able to exercise with their LVAD. It is important to discuss exercise goals and guidelines with your doctor.

Can I travel with an LVAD?

Many patients are able to travel with their LVAD. Planning in advance and communicating with your doctor, your loved ones and travel companions can allow you to enjoy your trip with confidence.

Is an LVAD a good treatment option for advanced heart failure patients?

The use of an LVAD, such as the HeartMate II™ LVAD or HeartMate 3™ LVAD, is indicated for certain patients with Class IIIB or IV heart failure.

Is the procedure covered by health insurance or Medicare?

The procedure may be covered by insurance or Medicare. If your care team at the advanced heart failure center determines you are a candidate for LVAD therapy, they can help explain your coverage options.

heartmate™ LVAD FAQs

What are the HeartMate II™ LVAD and the HeartMate 3™ LVAD

The HeartMate II™ LVAD and the HeartMate 3™ LVAD are mechanical heart pumps that circulate blood throughout the body when the heart cannot pump enough blood on its own. The HeartMate II LVAD and the HeartMate 3 LVAD are designed to restore blood flow while improving survival, functional status and quality of life^4,5,6,7.

4. Mehra MR, Naka Y, Uriel N, et al; for the MOMENTUM 3 investigators. A fully magnetically levitated circulatory pump for advanced heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2017;376:440-450.
5. Cowger JA, Naka Y, Aaronson K, Horstmanshof D, Gulati S, Rinde-Hoffman D, et al (2017). Quality of life and functional capacity in the multicenter study of MAGLEV technology in patients undergoing mechanical circulatory support therapy with the HeartMate 3 (MOMENTUM 3) Pivotal Trial.
6. Park SJ, Milano C A, Tatooles A J, Rogers JG, Adamson R M, Steidley E., et al. for the HeartMate II Clinical Investigators. (2012). Outcomes in advanced heart failure patients with left ventricular assist devices for destination therapy. Circulation: Heart Failure, 5(2), 241-248. http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.111.963991
7. John R, Naka Y, Smedira NG, Starling R, Jorde U, Eckman P, et al (2011). Continuous flow left ventricular assist device outcomes in commercial use compared with the prior clinical trial. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 92(4), 1406-1413.

How does the HeartMate 3 LVAD differ from the HeartMate II LVAD?

The HeartMate 3™ LVAD is a new LVAD system that builds upon the great success and performance of the HeartMate II™ LVAD. The features of the HeartMate 3 LVAD include Full MagLev™ flow technology, textured blood contacting surfaces, artificial pulse technology, advanced design for surgical ease and a design for an active lifestyle. The LVAD is selected based on different patient factors. Your doctor performing the LVAD procedure will help determine the right LVAD for you.

How active can patients be with the HeartMate 3 LVAD differ from the HeartMate II LVAD?

Because patients are in a severe stage of heart failure before receiving the device, they are very debilitated and typically very limited in terms of activity level. After receiving the HeartMate II™ LVAD, many patients can return to their favorite daily activities⁸, with the primary limitation being water immersion. Many patients are able to return to work and resume hobbies that they haven’t been able to do for years.

8. Ventricular Assist Device Procedure Details, Results. Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ventricular-assist-device/details/results/rsc-20167083

When are the HeartMate 3 LVAD and the HeartMate II LVAD used?

Certain patients who have a diagnosis of advanced heart failure may be candidates to receive either device. Both the HeartMate II™ LVAD and the HeartMate 3™ LVAD may be used to support patients while they wait for a donor heart to become available. This is known as “Bridge-to-Transplantation.”
The HeartMate II LVAD may also be used as a permanent option for patients who are not eligible for heart transplantation due to age or other medical conditions. Usage of the device in this manner is known as “Destination Therapy.” In either situation, without the option of an LVAD, advanced heart failure patients have poor prospects for survival and significantly limited lifestyles^6,9.

6. Park SJ, Milano C A, Tatooles A J, Rogers JG, Adamson R M, Steidley E., et al. for the HeartMate II Clinical Investigators. (2012). Outcomes in advanced heart failure patients with left ventricular assist devices for destination therapy. Circulation: Heart Failure, 5(2), 241-248. http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.111.963991
9. Pagani FD, Miller LW, Russell SD, et al. Extended Mechanical Circulatory Support With a Continuous-Flow Rotary Left Ventricular Assist Device. J Amer Coll Cardiol 2009;54(4):312-321.

How long can the HeartMate 3 LVAD or the HeartMate II LVAD be used?

Recipients have lived for years with the HeartMate II™ LVAD; in fact, some are living over 10 years post implant¹⁰. The HeartMate 3™ LVAD is currently indicated for providing short-term, hemodynamic support (e.g., bridge to transplant or bridge to myocardial recovery).

10. As of September 26, 2016. HeartMate II LVAD Clinical Experience Data (SJM-HM-1016-0032).

How long do the batteries last?

The latest generation of batteries used to support LVADs may last between 12 and 18 hours on a single charge.

Are the HeartMate II LVAD and HeartMate 3 LVAD FDA approved?

Yes. The HeartMate II™ LVAD has been approved for Bridge-to-Transplant and Destination Therapy and the HeartMate 3™ LVAD is approved for short-term support (e.g., Bridge-to-Transplant or Bridge-to-Myocardial Recovery).

What risks are associated with the HeartMate II LVAD and the HeartMate 3 LVAD?

As with all procedures, adverse events may be associated with LVADs. Potential adverse events are mentioned in decreasing order of frequency, except for death, which is mentioned first because it is a non-reversible complication:

Death, Bleeding, during surgery or after surgery
Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
Local infection
Respiratory failure
Device malfunction
Sepsis (serious infection)
Right heart failure
Driveline or pocket infection
Renal failure (inability of the kidneys to remove waste from the blood)
Stroke
Neurologic dysfunction (problems affecting the brain or nervous system)
Psychiatric episode
Thromboembolic event, peripheral (blood clots)
Hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells)
Hepatic dysfunction (liver problems)
Device thrombosis (formation of a blood clot inside the device)
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Please consult an advanced heart failure center or the HeartMate.com website for a complete list of risks.

heart failurE FAQs

What is heart failure?

Heart failure is a widespread, serious and progressive disease that develops when the heart muscle is unable to pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. Left untreated, the inadequate blood flow causes the organs to progressively fail. This results in numerous medical complications which reduces quality of life and often leads to death.

How common is heart failure?

According to the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Heart Failure Society of American (HFSA), about six million Americans are living with heart failure, and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. In the United States, the number of deaths from this condition has more than doubled since 1979, averaging 250,000 annually^11,12.

11. American Heart Association, Causes and Risks for Heart Failure http://bit.ly/2avl5Ot.
12. Heart Failure Society of America, Quick Heart Failure Facts http://www.hfsa.org/about-hfsa/quick-heart-failure-facts.

Is there a cure for heart failure?

No. Heart failure is a chronic disease needing lifelong management. However, with treatment, signs and symptoms of heart failure can improve¹³.

13. Mayo Clinic, Heart failure Diagnosis and Treatment, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-failure/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373148

What are the treatment options for heart failure?

Depending on the severity of heart failure, there may be many treatment choices that can help patients live longer and feel better. In the early stages, a healthy lifestyle and medicines can be enough to control the symptoms of heart failure. If heart failure has progressed to advanced stages, this approach may not be enough. The next steps for treatment may include pulmonary artery pressure monitoring, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), heart transplantation and/or a heart pump called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to help your heart pump blood.

Where can I go to learn more about heart failure?

Click here to jump to the Find a HeartMate™ LVAD Center page on HeartMate.com. Enter your city, state or zip code for a list of Advanced Heart Failure Centers near you that have experience with the HeartMate™ Portfolio of LVADs. Or call the HeartMate LVAD Information Line at 1-855-7-HEARTMATE to ask for a list of centers near you, or for more information.

Product Brochures

HeartMate 3™ LVAD

HeartMate II™ LVAD

HeartMate II™ LVAD Patient Brochure

Educational Videos

HeartMate 3™ LVAD Patient Education Program

HeartMate II™ LVAD Patient Education Program with MPU

HeartMate II™ LVAD Patient Education Program with Power Module

Educational Materials

Patient Education

HEARTMATE™ LVAD COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

The quarterly HeartMate™ LVAD Community Newsletter is for current or prospective HeartMate LVAD patients and their caregivers. In it, you will find interviews with HeartMate LVAD Ambassadors, articles on life with an LVAD, caregiver-focused articles, and tips on things like traveling or exercising with an LVAD.

Newsletter archives

To download past issues of the HeartMate™ LVAD Community Newsletter, click the year and then the issues you’d like, below:

2018

Spring

2017

2016

Fall

Glossary

Ace Inhibitor

A drug that inhibits ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme), which is important to the formation of angiotensin II. Angiotensin II causes arteries in the body to constrict, thereby raising blood pressure. ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure by inhibiting the formation of angiotensin II. This relaxes the arteries. Relaxing the arteries not only lowers blood pressure, but also improves the pumping efficiency of a weak or damaged heart and improves cardiac output in patients with heart failure.

Advanced Heart Failure

The heart of a person with advanced heart failure has a hard time pumping blood. This results in the body getting less oxygen. It makes a person feel tired or weak, even when doing simple things, such as walking or eating. Advanced heart failure (AHF) is defined as Classes IIIb and IV in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification and Stages C and D in the AHA/ACC Stages of Heart Failure.

American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiologists (ACC) Stages of Heart Failure

A common scale that doctors use to measure heart failure in 4 stages. This classification system uses the letters A to D to define the heart's condition. The system includes a category for individuals who are at risk of developing heart failure. Advanced heart failure (AHF) is defined as Stages C and D.

Anemia

A condition marked by low levels of healthy red blood cells.

Aorta

The main artery from the heart. It carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to smaller arteries that flow blood to the rest of the body.

Arrhythmia

Any loss of rhythm in the heart, most commonly referred to as an irregular heartbeat.

Arteries

Thick, muscular tubes that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Atherosclerosis

Plaque formed inside the arteries that reduce blood flow and cause blockage. Sometimes called "hardening" of the arteries.

Beta-blocker

A type of drug used to treat high blood pressure or arrhythmias that decrease the force and rate of heart contractions by blocking receptors in the heart.

Biventricular

Pertaining to both the left and right ventricles of the heart.

Blood Clots

A mass or lump caused by the thickening of the blood.

Blood Panel

A laboratory test done on blood to gain an appreciation of how the organs are functioning. Since blood flows throughout the body, providing oxygen and other nutrients and drawing waste products back to the excretory systems for disposal, the state of blood is affected by many medical conditions, including heart failure. Red and white blood cells and blood chemistry are both vital sources of information about heart conditions.

Blood Thinner

Medicine used to prevent blood clots or keep the blood in a liquid form.

Blood Vessels

The network of small tubes that carries blood to and from the heart and throughout your body. Blood vessels include arteries and veins.

Bridge to Transplantation

Temporary support for people with heart failure who are waiting for a heart transplant. Bridge to Transplantation involves the use of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)

CRT is indicated for Class III heart failure patients to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. CRT includes the use of a biventricular pacemaker.

Cardiomyopathy

Any disease of the heart muscle that leads to an enlarged and damaged heart that has impaired function.

Cardiopulmonary

Pertaining to or affecting both the heart and the lungs and their functions.

Coronary artery disease

A disease in which deposits containing cholesterol and fat are deposited within large and medium-sized arteries.

Destination Therapy

Permanent support for advanced stage heart failure for patients who do not qualify for a heart transplant. Destination Therapy refers to the implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD) for long-term use, rather than as a Bridge to Transplantation.

Diuretics (or water pills)

Drugs that increase the loss of water and salt from the body through the urine.

Dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing. A common symptom of numerous medical disorders, including heart failure.

Echocardiogram

A picture of the heart created through the use of sound waves that provides an accurate assessment of the heart's function.

Edema

The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess water. Edema can occur almost anywhere in the body, but the most common sites are the feet and ankles.

Ejection Fraction

A measurement of the fraction of blood pumped out of a ventricle with each heartbeat.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

An electric measurement of the speed and manner in which the heart beats. ECGs are a prime tool for the screening and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. They are used to determine whether the heart is performing normally. ECGs are also used as a screening tool for heart disease during an exercise tolerance test.

Exercise tolerance test (cardiac stress test or exercise stress test)

A test performed to measure the ability of the arterial blood flow to the heart muscle to increase during the stress of physical exercise, compared with blood flow while at rest.

Heart attack/Myocardial infarction

Destruction of heart tissue resulting from coronary artery disease.

Heartbeat

One complete contraction of the heart.

Heart Chambers

The 4 sections of the heart through which blood is pumped. The two upper chambers are called the left atrium and right atrium. The two lower chambers are the left and right ventricles. Oxygen-rich blood from the lungs enters the left atrium, while oxygen-depleted blood from the rest of the body flows into the right atrium. Both atria simultaneously pump blood into the ventricles. The ventricles then pump the blood to the lungs (from the right ventricle) and to the rest of the body (from the left ventricle). The left ventricle performs 80% of the heart's work.

Heart failure

Also called congestive heart failure (CHF), a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that weakens or damages the heart and impairs its ability to fill with blood or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues and organs, which are vital for healthy functioning. Heart failure compromises this delivery system and reduces the body's ability to function.

Heart failure studies

Research studies designed to test the effectiveness and safety of new devices, therapies, and techniques, or to study new ways of using existing heart failure treatments. These studies may offer very sick people a chance to receive newer therapies. The goal of these studies is to develop the best treatments for heart failure.

Inotropes

Drugs that affect the strength of contraction of the heart muscle (myocardial contractility). Both positive and negative inotropes are used in the management of various cardiovascular conditions.

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)

A device implanted into the chest to help the heart pump blood.

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS)

A range of treatment options for acute-, mid-, and long-term circulatory assistance to improve quality and length of life for people with advanced stage heart failure.

New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification

A common scale that doctors use to measure heart failure. This scale classifies heart failure in categories from I to IV based on a patient's symptoms. In NYHA Class I heart failure, the mildest form, individuals can perform everyday activities and not feel winded or fatigued. NYHA Class IV is the most severe, and individuals are short of breath, even at rest.

Orthopnea

Breathing difficulty that occurs when lying flat. It is a symptom of heart failure.

Risk Factors

The list of factors and activities or health habits that lead to the worsening of heart failure, including drinking alcohol, diabetes, smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, salt intake, and obesity. These factors can be reduced or limited by making appropriate lifestyle changes.

Six-minute walk test (6MWT)

A standard test that a doctor may use to measure your heart's tolerance to activity. Before the test, a doctor will record facts about your heart. During the test, the doctor will see how far you can walk during a 6-minute period. The results provide a good indicator about your heart's health.

Tachychardia

An abnormally rapid heartbeat. In an average adult, it is defined as a resting heart rate of 100 or more beats per minute. It can harm you in 2 ways. First, when the heart beats too rapidly, it performs inefficiently; there is not enough time for the ventricles to fill completely, causing cardiac output to diminish. Second, the heart must work harder, causing it to require more oxygen and reducing the blood flow to the cardiac muscle tissue.

Valves

Flap-like structures that serve to keep blood flowing in one direction through a canal or tubular structure.

Vasodilators

Medications that cause widening of blood vessels following the relaxation of the muscle in the vessel wall. Since there is more room for the blood to flow, blood pressure is reduced.

Resources & frequently asked questions