Abstract
Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are currently used to treat patients with terminal congestive heart failure as a bridge to transplantation or as destination therapy in individuals with contraindications for cardiac transplantation. The LVADs are pulsatile or non-pulsatile systems that transport blood from the left ventricle to the ascending aorta parallel to the circulation thus providing ...
Abstract
Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are currently used to treat patients with terminal congestive heart failure as a bridge to transplantation or as destination therapy in individuals with contraindications for cardiac transplantation. The LVADs are pulsatile or non-pulsatile systems that transport blood from the left ventricle to the ascending aorta parallel to the circulation thus providing a profound volume and pressure reduction in the left ventricle. The use of LVADs is associated with a considerable decrease of cardiac hypertrophy and dilation with significantly improved cardiac performance in a small subset of patients. The underlying process is termed reverse cardiac remodelling and is characterized by a significant decrease in the size of cardiomyocytes and reversible regulation of numerous molecular systems in the myocardium.
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