LVAD Surgery

There is a shortage of healthy hearts available for transplant, not just in Washington, D.C., but in the entire country. Our cardiac surgeons and entire cardiac team use advanced technology to find different ways to treat patients with heart failure. Bridges to transplants are necessary, so patients can stay healthy enough to tolerate the high stress of a potential transplant.

The largest LVAD program in Washington, D.C.

Patients are finding the answer in ventricular assist devices—portable, battery-operated devices that perform the function of the heart. Our interventional cardiologists have pioneered the testing and development of ventricular assist devices (LVADs) since 1988.

Today, we routinely use LVADs as bridges to transplantation and, for some patients, a long-term solution for advanced heart failure.

Learn more about our LVAD program and visit http://www.mylvad.com/.

LVAD history at the MedStar Heart Institute

At MedStar Heart Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, one of our heart surgeons, Steven W. Boyce, MD, was the first surgeon in the United States to implant a new battery-sized artificial assist device into a patient. Always on the cutting-edge of advanced heart technology, the Heart Institute is currently participating in a clinical trial to examine patients' health while using these devices. Learn more about our heart research.

The MedStar Heart Institute is the only place to go for heart surgery. Schedule an appointment or second opinion with one of our top surgeons or call 202-877-DOCS. Or order a free information kit about our cardiac surgery program.