Who is an ideal candidate for a left ventricular assist device (LVAD)?

The ideal candidate is a patient with end-stage heart disease who has been maximally medically managed and continues to have heart failure symptoms.

Patients may have had an acute event, such as a heart attack, and their heart may be so weakened that it cannot support the circulation. During the time of LVAD support, either the heart will get better or physicians will determine an appropriate treatment such as coronary bypass grafting, mitral valve repair, or heart transplant.

The ideal candidate is one who has an elective LVAD. These patients tend to have shorter hospital stays and better outcomes.