Advanced heart failure:
Of the 5.7 million Americans living with heart failure, about 10% of those have advanced heart
failure. The condition is considered advanced when conventional heart therapies and symptom
management strategies no longer work. You feel shortness of breath and other symptoms even
at rest.
Advanced heart failure cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Treatments can reduce your
symptoms and help your heart pump as best it can. In fact, there is a growing selection of
therapies and state-of-the-art technologies for helping to treat advanced heart failure.
Treatment options for advanced heart failure:
In addition to the heart failure treatment options discussed above, in advanced heart failure,
other treatments may be considered.
Intravenous Medications (positive inotropes):
These medications are used to make the heart beat more forcefully. You will need
a more permanent intravenous access (PICC line) so you can receive these
medications at home
Mechanical Circulatory Support (Ventricular Assist Device/VAD):
These machines can help temporarily or as a more permanent treatment option.
There are different types of these devices and each is chosen based on the patient's
particular situation.
Temporary devices may be used to help a patient recover from a reversible
condition, such as sudden kidney failure, a heart attack, severe inflammation of the
heart muscle (myocarditis) or shock. Quick action may be needed to temporarily
support a failing heart until it has time to recover. These treatments can, however,
be needed permanently if a patient's health worsens. These temporary devices can
be used until a more permanent therapy, such as placement of an implantable (long
term) VAD or heart transplant can be done.
o Temporary Devices:
AB 5000
CentriMag
Impella
Long-term implantable left ventricular assist device or LVAD, may be used as a
"bridge to transplant" for patients awaiting a heart donor. When heart
transplantation is not an option, an LVAD can help the heart pump blood for the
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