Hospice and Palliative Medicine Clinician Views of Deactivation of Ventricular Assist Devices at End of Life

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) provide circulatory support to patients with advanced heart failure. These devices are used as a temporary bridge to recovery, bridge to cardiac transplantation, or as destination therapy (DT)—where the patient will have the device in situ for the remainder of his/her life. Compared to medical management alone, LVAD-DT often improves survival and quality of life for patients with severe heart failure.1 However, patients with LVADs may experience a host of challenges including a catastrophic event (e.g., stroke, hemorrhage, infection), a concurrent slow decline in health (e.g., right heart failure), a concurrent life-limiting illness (e.g., malignancy), or progression of other comorbid conditions (e.g., dementia).
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - Category: Palliative Care Authors: Source Type: research