Is It Time to Stop Living in a HeartMate II World?
Despite improving outcomes with modern pump technology, LVAD utilization for patients with end-stage heart failure has declined significantly in the preceding half decade. Here, we examine this trend, noting an inherent contradiction in declining utilization of an improving therapeutic option. We propose a series of provocative questions as a “call to action” for the field of advanced heart failure to consider both scientifically and clinically, focusing on our evaluation parameters for LVAD candidacy, our approach to dichotomous LVAD versus transplant decisions, and our current management paradigms.
