Bridge to Transplantation

When used as a bridge-to-transplantation, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) support heart failure patients who are too sick to wait for a donor heart to be located. The LVAD allows the heart to rest, heal, and grow stronger before the stress of transplant surgery. On average, patients remain on a LVAD for 4-6 months prior to transplantation. If their health permits, they can return home from the hospital during that time and resume limited activities.

FDA-approved devices approved for use in bridge-to-transplantation include:

• Thoratec HeartMate® XVE
• Thoratec® VAD
• Novacor® LVAS

In addition, some patients may require only temporary support preceding or following heart surgery, even though they are not candidates for a transplant. For these patients, a device such as the ABIOMED BVS®5000, AB5000™, or Thoratec® VAD may be used on a short-term basis.

To learn more about heart transplants, please click here.