Symposium

Third-Generation LVADs

Has Anything Changed?

Levine, Avi MD; Gass, Alan MD

From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College/Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY.

Disclosure: Alan Gass acts as a Speaker’s Bureau, Medtronic, Speaker's Bureau, Abbott.

Correspondence: Avi Levine, MD, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, 100 Woods Road, Valhalla, NY 10595. E-mail: [email protected].

Cardiology in Review 27(6):p 293-301, November/December 2019. | DOI: 10.1097/CRD.0000000000000268

Abstract

The field of durable left ventricular assist devices has advanced dramatically since its introduction into the clinical realm. From the first-generation pulsatile HeartMate XVE device to the second-generation continuous axial flow HeartMate-2 to the current third-generation centrifugal flow devices, the left ventricular assist device has undergone significant evolution. This review describes the technology and its changes over the course of time, with a focus on the fundamental question: Has anything changed?