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Ventricular assist deviceThe ventricles are the heart's main blood-pumping chambers. As congestive heart failure progresses, these chamber enlarge, muscle fibers stretch and the heart loses strength. A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a small mechanical pump that helps a damaged heart function better. It was designed to help patients with severe congestive heart failure survive until a heart transplant. But in some patients, the VAD helps the heart improve to such an extent after months of use that a transplant is not necessary. A left ventricular assist device may be implanted as a permanent mechanical replacement for the left side of the heart. The electrical devices of the VAD are implanted in the left side of the chest under the collarbone. A wire and air vent tube passes through the lower abdominal wall. An external shoulder holster holds batteries that power the device. Blood flows through from the left lower chamber of the heart through the VAD to the aorta, the largest artery in the body, which carries blood to other vessels that serve the arms and legs. [ Previous page ] |
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