The Heartmate II is a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that helps the left ventricle pump
blood to the rest of the body. It is an implantable
pump with parts which are attached to the heart
surgically inside the body and are then connected
to the battery and controller which sit outside the
body. Heartmate II is a pump that runs on
electricity and needs to be plugged into an
electrical outlet or connected to batteries at all
times.
The Heartmate II is FDA approved for use in
patients with end stage left ventricular failure who
are not a candidate for heart transplant- also known
as destination therapy, and for patients with end stage left ventricular failure who are candidates
for heart transplant but are at risk for imminent death from heart failure - also known as a
bridge-to-transplant. Currently there are no long term implantable devices for end stage right
ventricular failure.
A Heartmate II device is inserted via an incision over the breastbone. The breastbone is then
divided in two giving access to the heart. The Patient is
placed on the bypass machine while the pump is sewn
onto the heart. The thin flexible power cord is then
tunneled under the skin and exits the body from
abdomen and is connected to an outside controller.
The advanced heart failure team will be involved in the
patient education portion. When able, the patient can go
home and care for this device with support from family
or friends.
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