Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) and Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS)

A thin cord called a driveline runs from the LVAD motor through a tiny opening in the skin and connects to the controller and batteries outside the patient’s body. LVAD batteries are recharged nightly when plugged into a wall power source. The mechanical device has three primary components:

• A mechanical pump with an inflow and outflow cannula (tube)
• A system controller
• A pair of batteries

LVADs serve patients in several ways:

• As a bridge to heart transplant surgery
• As destination therapy (permanent treatment usually when heart transplant is not an option)
• As a bridge to decision (heart transplant or permanent LVAD implantation)
• As a bridge to recovery (LVAD is removed once the heart regains adequate contractile strength and can support the body’s needs)

After LVAD surgery is complete, most patients generally spend three to five days recovering in the state-of-the-art intensive care unit (ICU) at Prebys Cardiovascular Institute, and then move to a regular hospital room until fully recovered.

During this time, our physical and occupational therapists and dietitians will work with you to speed up your recovery process. We will continue to educate you and your care partner about caring for the LVAD, and your care partner will participate in driveline dressing changes with the LVAD coordinator.

You will follow up in the LVAD clinic for your care. You will continue to see your regular cardiologist as well. In addition, most patients will attend a cardiac rehabilitation program, where you can exercise and build strength in a medically supervised setting.

Scripps cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons are experts in heart failure and have helped advance this specialized field. Scripps physicians are nationally recognized leaders and serve on several national panels and committees dedicated to heart failure and its treatment with MCS/LVAD. Our physicians are involved in clinical trials that hold the promise of greater advancements in heart care. See Scripps clinical trials that are currently recruiting.

Scripps patients implanted with an LVAD do well because of the quality and coordination of care they receive from the LVAD team. Our team meets or exceeds all national standards in LVAD outcomes. Our cardiac surgeons and cardiologists participate in regular patient status checks — with intensive care physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners, nutritionists and physical therapists — to ensure the highest-quality care and positive clinical outcomes.

Prebys Cardiovascular Institute is ushering in a new era of heart care that includes dedicated units for heart failure patients and trained multidisciplinary teams of case managers, social workers, financial coordinators, dietitians, pharmacists, research coordinators and palliative care experts to support doctors and nurses in caring for our patients. LVAD implant surgeries are performed in the state-of-the-art operating suites at Prebys Cardiovascular Institute.

The Scripps LVAD program is staffed by an experienced team of cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons who have performed hundreds of successful LVAD and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) implants for patients from across San Diego and throughout the Western US.

The MCS/LVAD clinical team includes the following specialists.

Board-certified heart failure and transplant cardiologists

Our heart failure and transplant cardiologists specialize in caring for patients with decreased heart function. Your cardiologist will thoroughly evaluate your health and work with your care team to develop your personalized treatment plan.

• J. Thomas Heywood, MD, program medical director
• Rajeev Mohan, MD
• Rola M. Khedraki, MD 
• Brian Carlos, MD, Kaiser Permanente
• Antonio Christophy, MD, Kaiser Permanente

Cardiothoracic/LVAD surgeons

In addition to performing your LVAD implant surgery, your cardiothoracic/LVAD surgeon will talk to you and your family about what to expect during and after surgery and answer your questions.

• Sam Baradarian, MD
• Richard Stahl, MD

Your LVAD implant surgery will be performed in the state-of-the-art operating suites at Prebys Cardiovascular Institute. Your care team at the Institute includes: 

• Heart failure/MCS advanced practice providers
• LVAD nurse coordinator
• Case managers
• Social workers
• Financial coordinators
• Dietitians
• Pharmacists
• Palliative care experts
• Psychiatrists
• Physical and occupational therapists