Left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy.

Although an estimated 16,500 Americans annually could benefit from a heart transplant, in 1999 only 2184 heart transplants were performed in the United States. These statistics emphasize the severity of the shortage of available hearts for transplantation. Circulatory support provided by an implantable Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) that meets Food and Drug Administration approval as destination therapy is a promising alternative that impacts patient survival.