Why are mechanical heart devices needed?
The heart has four chambers. The two upper chambers receive blood and are called the left and right atria (singular, atrium). The two larger, lower chambers of the heart are called the ventricles. The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs where it is re-supplied with oxygen. The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood out to all parts of the body. When the heart is weakened from disease and can no longer pump effectively on it own, a mechanical device, called a ventricular assist device, or VAD, may be a treatment option. This device supports the heart and helps it do its job of pumping. For people awaiting a heart transplant, this mechanical device acts a bridge and can sustain life until a suitable heart becomes available.

Since left-sided heart failure is more common heart ailment, the surgery for a Left Ventricular Assist Device or LVAD is a more common procedure than the surgery for the Right Ventricular Assist Device, or RVAD, a treatment option for right-sided heart failure. Both of these procedures are performed at the INTEGRIS Heart Hospital.

How does a VAD, particularly a LVAD work?
During open heart surgery, the LVAD is placed inside a patient's chest. A common type of LVAD has a tube that pulls blood from the heart's left ventricle into a pump. Then through another tube, the LVAD's pump sends blood into the aorta (the large blood vessel leaving the left ventricle). Simply, the LVAD takes over the job of pumping, giving the left ventricle 'a rest.' The external units for the LVAD's battery and control systems are brought through the abdominal wall to the outside of the body. Some LVAD models allow the person to wear these external units on a special belt or harness.

Patients undergoing surgery for ventricular assist device placement recover on nursing unit 801 at the INTEGRIS Heart Hospital.

LVADs are portable and are often used for weeks to months, and in some cases are permanent options. Patients with these devices are discharged from the hospital with medication regimens and criteria for evaluating potential infections, bleeding or other mechanical problems. Patients with LVADs have even returned to work depending on the type of job they perform and under their physician's guidance. At this time, RVADs are only temporary devices.

What is a TandemHeart^® pump or system?
The TandemHeart^® is an external blood pump that provides circulatory support to a failing heart. It is used on a short-term basis for critically ill individuals who have experienced a massive heart attack or sudden heart failure and do not have enough blood flow to support their organs. The TandemHeart^® supplements the heart’s pumping action, improving blood flow until the patient’s condition becomes more stable or the patient is strong enough to undergo an interventional treatment such as angioplasty, or surgery. In potential heart transplant patients or patients awaiting a mechanical heart assist device, the TandemHeart^® is thought of as a ‘bridge’ system giving patients extra time for the weaken heart to rest.

The life-saving TandemHeart^® procedure is not an elective procedure. It is inserted in the cardiac catheterization lab and consists of an external pump worn on the patient’s leg with catheters that are inserted into the patient’s groin.