Mayo Clinic surgeons have developed innovative new designs of ventricular assist devices to use in specific cases.
A VAD, which is sometimes called a durable mechanical circulatory support device, is implanted by surgeons to help pump blood from the heart to the rest of the body. It can be a temporary or permanent approach. A VAD is most frequently placed in the left lower heart chamber called the left ventricle to provide a constant flow of blood from the heart to the body. When the device is placed in the left ventricle, it is known as a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), or a continuous flow device. Getting an LVAD often requires open-heart surgery. It can be lifesaving if you have severe heart failure.
