Latest Technology Provide Hope to Patients with End-Stage Heart Failure
Heart
failure is a condition in which the heart
loses its ability to pump blood efficiently.
As the leading cause of hospital admissions
in the country today, heart failure poses a
serious threat to a person's quality of life.
More cases, particularly of chronic heart failure,
are expected to increase as the population
continues to age, adding to the burden of an
already limited heart transplant donor list.
Steady
improvements in artificial cardiac support
technology such as ventricular assist devices
(VADs) have enabled patients with end-stage
heart failure to remain at home for more
than a year until a suitable donor is available.
Recent studies have shown that patients who
were not eligible for heart transplantation
had significantly improved quality of life
and survival rate (at one and two years after
surgery) with VADs in comparison to medical
therapy alone.
The Permanent Cardiac Support Program
at Penn offers a full array of treatment options
to patients with end-stage heart failure or severe
mitral valve regurgitation, and/or those who have
suffered a heart attack, including:
- Ventricular
Assist Devices (VADs): Several electrically powered,
implanted devices with externally located
lines are available Because the device is very compatible,
there is less risk for clots, which reduces the amount
of low-level blood-thinning medication needed.
- Heart
jacket: This mesh-like jacket is sewn around the
heart to treat a heart that does not relax properly.
Congestive heart failure can be caused by either
the heart’s inability to contract (systolic
dysfunction), relax (diastolic dysfunction) or a
combination of
the two.
It is estimated that 400,000 new people are diagnosed
with heart failure, and that at least 30,000-60,000
of them will die yearly, secondary to congestive heart
failure. Approximately, 3,500 people await heart transplants
yearly in the United States, while only 2,500 heart
donors are available right now.
Our program is part of the Heart Failure and Transplantation
Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania,
one of the five
busiest centers in the country. Penn has performed
more transplants than any other hospital in the Philadelphia
region and offers the most advanced and comprehensive
medical and surgical options.
We provide patients access
to a multidisciplinary team of experts, including
surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, transplant and VAD
coordinators, social workers, cardiac rehabilitation
specialists and even a financial counselor. Each member
of our staff is highly skilled in utilizing the most
advanced technology. Currently, we are enrolling patients
with end-stage heart failure in studies to determine
the effectiveness of left ventricular assist and other
devices as destination therapy.
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