The Christ Hospital Health Network is the first facility in the region to offer the newly FDA approved HeartWare(TM) HVAD(TM) System as a destination therapy for patients with advanced heart failure who are not candidates for heart transplants. The HVAD System, a left ventricular assist device or LVAD, aids the heart in pumping blood throughout the body.
Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. It is a progressive condition, affecting more than 6.5 million people in the United States alone, a number expected to rise to 8.5 million by 2030. A mechanical, centrifugal flow pump, the HVAD System supports heart function and blood flow, continuously drawing oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle to deliver to the rest of the body.
LVADs are an effective and well-established treatment for patients who have progressed to advanced heart failure. In the US approximately 50% of heart transplant recipients receive an LVAD as a step towards their heart transplant. There are many patients with advanced heart failure that do not qualify for heart transplant, as this is a limited resource. In these patients that are ineligible for transplant, LVADs are a proven therapy to treat their heart failure and increase their length and quality of life. The HVAD System received FDA approval in 2012 as a bridge to transplant. With the FDA approval for destination therapy, the HVAD system can now be offered to a larger and growing population of heart failure patients.
The Christ Hospital LVAD program has been designated a Center of Excellence for implanting and caring for LVAD patients. A multidisciplinary team of experts in cardiology, critical care, and cardiac surgery deliver LVAD therapy to patients with advanced stages of heart failure. “We strive to offer our patients the best and most novel therapies and technology for their heart disease. The HVAD is a smaller LVAD system that promises to save patients suffering from their heart failure and offer them a better quality of life as well,” said Gregory Egnaczyk, MD, medical director of The Carl and Edyth Lindner Heart Failure Treatment Center at The Christ Hospital. The Christ Hospital LVAD program is the most experienced LVAD center in the region. “Heart failure is growing rapidly as a chronic disease facing our population. The LVAD is one of many options we have to treat patients whose daily lives are impaired by symptoms of heart failure,” adds Dr. Egnaczyk.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn with six ambulatory centers and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,200 talented physicians and 5,800 dedicated employees support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes, the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as the 24th best large employer in the nation in the magazine’s “America’s 500 Best Large Employers” listing and by National Consumer Research as the region’s “Most Preferred Hospital” for 21 consecutive years. The Network is dedicated to transforming care by delivering integrated, personalized healthcare through its comprehensive, multi-specialty physician network. The Christ Hospital is among only six percent of hospitals in the nation to be awarded “Magnet” recognition for nursing excellence and among the top five percent of hospitals in the country for patient satisfaction. For more than 125 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.