Living with a HeartMate LVAD

HeartMate™ lvads can help recipients and their loved ones live active, full lives^1-4

HeartMate LVADs help hearts that aren’t pumping adequately to push the right amount of blood throughout the body. Many LVAD recipients find they have more energy than they did before because more oxygen-rich blood is moving through their bodies.⁵ Depending on their condition, LVAD recipients may be able to resume many of their daily life activities with the advice of their doctor.⁶

get to know the heartmate lvad system

1 HeartMate LVAD pump*
Connected to the left side of the heart and moves blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
2 Batteries
Rechargeable, lightweight and long-lasting; weighing less than one pound each.
3 Driveline
Transfers power and information between the controller and the heart pump. This component is partially outside of the body.
4 Controller
Powers and checks the pump and driveline. This easy-to-wear controller weighs less than one pound and discreetly slips into a front pocket. The controller uses alerts to communicate how the system is working and includes emergency backup power.
Mobile Power Unit -MPU (not pictured)
Plugs into an electrical socket to provide power while indoors, at rest or asleep. Small, lightweight and mobile, the unit is designed to be extremely durable.

*HeartMate 3^TM LVAD shown

Click here for an animation of the HeartMate 3 LVAD working with the heart to pump blood through the body.

before and during LVAD surgery

Patients considering LVAD therapy undergo a thorough medical and psychosocial evaluation before a final decision is made about treatment. A major focus of the evaluation is to determine if you are a candidate for, and can benefit from, LVAD therapy. Also, because caregivers are integral in the daily lives of LVAD recipients, an important component of the decision process is patient and family education about the LVAD regimen, and the benefits and risks of LVAD therapy.⁷ You may also have the opportunity to meet with a current LVAD recipient, called an ambassador, who can share their personal story of life with an LVAD.

If you and your doctor determine that LVAD therapy is the right choice, here’s what you can expect from the procedure, in brief*:

The specific type of LVAD you receive is based on many factors and will be determined by your heart failure cardiologist.
LVADs are implanted by a trained cardiac surgeon in a hospital surgical procedure that typically lasts 3-6 hours.
After surgery, you will be moved to the ICU, where you will be closely monitored by your doctor and hospital staff. You may be in the ICU for a few days.
After your stay in the ICU, you will be moved to the cardiac unit for recovery. Your hospital stay may be 2 to 4 weeks and varies by patient.

*This is a brief and general description of the LVAD implantation procedure, as each hospital follows a slightly different protocol and each patient is unique.

recovery

Hospital recovery times vary from patient to patient but the average is 2 to 4 weeks. During this time, the LVAD care team will optimize the device and equipment settings for your specific needs. You and your caregivers will receive instruction on post-surgical care, and learn how to operate and live with your LVAD system.

After you’re well enough to return home, you will have regular checkups with your LVAD care team. It’s important to follow your doctor’s guidelines for medications, diet, weight, exercise and activities. Your emotional health and that of your caregiver are also incredibly important. You both may benefit from joining an LVAD or heart failure support group where you can hear the stories of other LVAD recipients and share your own. Ask your advanced heart failure center about finding a group in your area.

Return to the activities you love (with few exceptions*)

Walking
Time with family & friends
Traveling
Golfing
Gardening
Dancing
Work/Volunteering

*Your advanced heart failure center will guide you on which activities you may need to avoid as an LVAD recipient. This includes contact sports, swimming and water sports since some components of the system are outside of the body and cannot be submerged in water.

how is heart failure impacting your life?

take the short quiz

Each testimonial relates an account of an individual's response to the treatment. The patient's account is genuine, typical and documented. However, it does not provide any indication, guide, warranty or guarantee as to the response other persons may have to the treatment. Responses to the treatment discussed can and do vary and are specific to the individual patient.

INDICATIONS AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Rx Only
Brief Summary: Prior to using these devices, please review the Instructions For Use for a complete listing of indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, potential adverse events and directions for use.

HeartMate 3™ LVAS Indications: The HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System is indicated for providing short- and long-term mechanical circulatory support (e.g., as bridge to transplant or myocardial recovery, or destination therapy) in patients with advanced refractory left ventricular heart failure.

HeartMate II™ LVAS Indications: The HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist System is indicated for use as a “bridge to transplantation” for cardiac transplant candidates who are at risk of imminent death from non-reversible left ventricle failure. It is also indicated for use in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IIIB or IV end-stage left ventricular failure, who have received optimal medical therapy for at least 45 of the last 60 days, and who are not candidates for cardiac transplantation. The HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist System is intended for use both inside and outside of the hospital, or for transportation of Left Ventricular Assist Device patients via ground ambulance, airplane, or helicopter.

HeartMate 3 and HeartMate II LVAS Contraindications: The HeartMate 3 and HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Systems are contraindicated for patients who cannot tolerate, or who are allergic to, anticoagulation therapy.

HeartMate 3 and HeartMate II LVAS Adverse Events: Adverse events that may be associated with the use of the HeartMate 3 or HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist System include, but are not limited to those listed below: death, bleeding, cardiac arrhythmia, localized infection, right heart failure, respiratory failure, device malfunctions, driveline infection, renal dysfunction, sepsis, stroke, other neurological event (not stroke-related), hepatic dysfunction, psychiatric episode, venous thromboembolism, hypertension, arterial non-central nervous system (CNS), thromboembolism, pericardial fluid collection, pump pocket or pseudo pump pocket infection, myocardial infarction, wound dehiscence, hemolysis (not associated with suspected device thrombosis) and pump thrombosis.

References:

1. Mehra M, Goldstein D, Uriel N, et al. Two-Year Outcomes with a Magnetically Levitated Cardiac Pump in Heart Failure. N Engl J Med. 2018;378(15):1386-1395. 2. Cowger J, Naka Y, Aaronson K, et al. 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. 2017. 3. Park S, Milano C, Tatooles A, et al. for the HeartMate II Clinical Investigators. Outcomes in advanced heart failure patients with left ventricular assist devices for destination therapy. Circ Heart Failure 2012;5(2), 241-248. 4. John R, Naka Y, Smedira N, et al. Continuous flow left ventricular assist device outcomes in commercial use compared with the prior clinical trial. Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2011;92(4), 1406-1413. 5. How life changes with an LVAD. My LVAD Web site. https://www.mylvad.com/patients-caregivers/learn-about-lvads/intro-lvads/how-life-changes Accessed October 22, 2018. 6. Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Results. Mayo Clinic Web site. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ventricular-assist-device/about/pac-20384529. Accessed on October 29, 2018 7. Givertz, M. Ventricular Assist Devices. Important information for patients and families. Circ Heart Failure, 2011;124:e305-e311.

“this device is a blessing”

HeartMate™ lvads can help recipients and their loved ones live active, full lives1-4