A Left Ventricular Assist Device, or LVAD, is a small, surgically implanted heart pump that helps a weakened heart circulate blood to the rest of your body. If you’re living with advanced heart failure, an LVAD can give you a crucial assist while you await a heart transplant or decide to use the device for long-term support.
“Having (an LVAD) has given me back my life — the life I had before I was sick,” says Son Vang, of Virginia, who had been taking medication to treat his heart failure for four years before the disease progressed to an advanced stage. “It allowed me to be active, play golf, get back to work and pursue different passions.”
What is an LVAD device, and who is it for?
An LVAD is a surgically implanted mechanical pump that connects to the left side of your heart and moves blood from the left ventricle to the rest of your body. It helps your heart increase its flow of oxygen-rich blood.
A typical system consists of:
- LVAD: The pump that is attached to the left ventricle of the heart and to the aorta, the “highway” of the cardiovascular system that carries blood to the rest of your body.
- Controller: A small computer that controls and monitors the system. It can provide data to you and your care team.
- Driveline: The cable that connects the LVAD and the controller, powering the pump and transmitting data to the controller.
- Batteries: The power source for the system. They also connect to the controller.
LVAD therapy has been shown in clinical trials to reverse the symptoms of heart failure and people live active and fuller lives,1 but it is not for everyone who has been diagnosed with heart failure.
Generally speaking, an LVAD is for people at a stage of heart failure where symptoms are severe even when they’re at rest or performing minimal exercise and who are already receiving other treatment. On top of that, candidates for an LVAD procedure must be determined to be good candidates based on testing and expert evaluation.
If you think you might be a good candidate, talk about your symptoms with your doctor and ask for more information about the criteria for receiving an LVAD.
How long can you live with an LVAD?
For people living with advanced or end-stage heart failure, a heart transplant is often the best option. But, when that isn’t an option, LVAD technology has been shown to help people live longer.
One of the largest clinical studies of LVADs, MOMENTUM 3, focused on Abbott’s HeartMate 3 LVAD system. It showed that nearly 60% of people with a HeartMate 3 were still alive beyond five years.
A recent nationwide study of more than 15,000 patients treated with a HeartMate 3 system showed that more than half of the patients were alive seven years after the implantation.2
Abbott proudly supported one of the longest-living patients with an LVAD: Mayra Rodriguez, a New Jersey woman who inspired so many others by living more than 15 years with an LVAD before she passed away in 2024.
What should you be aware of with respect to LVAD therapy?
Associated risks of LVAD therapy can include bleeding, stroke, thrombosis and other possible adverse events. Device-related complications can also be an associated risk, and you will need to keep the area where the driveline goes through the skin clean and dry to lower your risk of infection.
What should I know about LVAD surgery?
What is it like living with an LVAD?
An LVAD can help you get back to an active life.
People with an LVAD can walk, dance, exercise and handle many other physical activities that their previous advanced heart failure symptoms held them back from.
You’ll wear the LVAD batteries and controller in a discreet set of holsters or bag.
A protective bag keeps your LVAD system controller and batteries dry when you shower.
Swimming and taking a bath are not allowed.
Can you fly with an LVAD? If you make the necessary preparations and consult with your doctor, it’s possible to travel safely. A key consideration — not only for traveling but for day-to-day life — is making sure you’re always close to a source of power and carry extra batteries.
You cannot have an MRI test because of the strong magnets used in that procedure.
Can LVAD therapy be used by children?
Yes. Abbott’s HeartMate 3 LVAD system is approved in the U.S. to be used to support kids with advanced refractory left ventricular heart failure — and with an appropriate body surface area — while they wait for a transplant.
What else can I read about LVAD therapy?
On Abbott’s HeartMate 3 LVAD therapy page, you can learn more about heart failure and LVAD treatment, hear people’s personal experiences and request to connect with a patient ambassador.
