Although left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation can improve survival in patients with end-stage heart failure, it is not without risk. Numerous complications are possible, and durable support requires substantial lifestyle changes. The use of various knowledge-assessment tools may allow for more informed patient decisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDonor to recipient undersizing can result in diminished graft survival. The United Network for Organ Sharing database was retrospectively queried from January 2008 to December 2013 to identify adult patients who underwent heart transplantation. This population was divided into those without and with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) at the time of transplant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med
March 2014
Heart failure is a progressive disorder characterized by adverse left ventricular remodeling. Until recently, this has been thought to be an irreversible process. Mechanical unloading with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), particularly if combined with neurohormonal blockade with heart failure medications, can lead to a reversal of the heart failure phenotype, a process called "reverse remodeling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn 2015, there will be an estimated 11.3 million cancer survivors. With an increasing population of cancer survivors, it is imperative to understand the treatment options available and outcomes for chemotherapy-related cardiomyopathy.
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