What are LVADs?
LVAD is an acronym for left ventricle assist device. Due to frequent heart seizures or attacks your heart might become weak over the period of time and trod you down to a state of despair where it might even restrict you physical movements. In this case it becomes requisite for you to go for heart transplant As the name suggests LVAD is a mechanical pump which is embedded inside the chest below the heart in the thoracic region which aids in pumping blood in cases where the patient suffers from severe heart failure or is at the terminal stage and no treatment promotes healthy living that is a patient is in a stage of heart transplant. It assists in pumping of blood to all parts of the body through aorta, because of ventricular failure.
How does LVAD work?
The mechanism works like this: the blood pumped by other parts of the heart is pushed into the LVAD, and then from here a tube is connected to aorta which further pushes the blood to rest of the body. A tube like structure called drive line is passed through a person’s abdomen which connects the pump to the controller which controls the whole device and induces power in it. LVADs are long term solutions for people who are either not adaptable to transplants or due to age of medical conditions. Patients have to go through open heart surgeries for LVAD Specialist in Delhi which might be risky if not performed correctly.
What are the side effects of LVADs?
- Blood clotting – LVADs disturb the natural habitat of our body, since it is an artificial object inside us, so clotting becomes a common scenario, which leads to disruption in the flow of blood inturn blocking blood vessels and risks to strokes arise.
- Infection – Since an open heart surgery is performed, and a foreign object is implanted in the body chances of infection arise.
- Right ventricle failure – the device is fitted in the left ventricle which weakens the right ventricle because the right ventricle pumps at a lower rate and left ventricle performs better.
- Kidney malfunction leading to failures of other organs as well.
- LVAD dysfunction – A machine is a machine, it cannot inherit the properties of a human body, it is just an aid. Sometimes the machine might not pump at the required rate it could be fast or slow , the machine parts may stop working or even the power supply may cause problems. So risks are more.
- bleeding
When is it used?
LVADS are commonly used in cases where there is
- Bridge to transplant – where your heart needs transplant , lavd is compulsory until a donor is found.
- Destination therapy – In case you are not capable of heart transplant or your situation isn’t that worse, then your doctor might recommend LVAD on temporary basis or permanently to give you a lease of life.
Advantages of LVAD
After treatment you can lead a normal life without having the risk of failure, take part in regular day life activities with determination and without thinking that they are different.
- Improve the efficiency and provides better quality of life
- Longer life expectancy
- Less symptoms of heart failure
LVADs are successful if done by an ultime professional expertise having years of experience. One of the handful doctors in India who carry out this surgery with ease and faith is Dr Viveka Kumar, he is mirthfully given the title of Heart Doctor in Delhi. He is one of the esteemed professional in the field of heart transplants and VAD installation. Also he is the only approved surgeon in Asia and the whole of middle east for the total artificial heart. He is currently providing his expertise in Max Super Speciality Hospital Saket, New Delhi. The fellowships he has done makes him exquisite and distictive from the rest. He has done 4 years of expert advance training at the world’s top hospitals Mayo Clinic Rochester MN, USA and Mount Sinai Medical Center NY, USA. His eminence and intensive trainings at such top hospitals makes him enter the list of acclaimed doctors both nationally and internationally.
Excellence and Achievements – Mr Krishna is an extensively trained doctor in heart transplants and ECMO. He is one of the renowned doctor’s who has performed maximum number of LVADs in north India and largest number of ECMO in the country with extreme proficiency. The trust he has built among his patients is such that he is recommended to everyone suffering from heart diseases because of his success rate in operating. He completely believes in treating his patients with benevolence and giving them the best treatments and surgery.
If we consider his areas of specialization and expertise they are:
- Heart transplantation
- Ventricular assist device
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- Adult cardiac surgery