CINCINNATI (September 22, 2025) – On Monday, September 22, providers and team members of The Christ Hospital Health Network celebrated its 400th implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The 400th patient, Russell Holbrook, reunited with his care team.
LVADs offer extended life with improved quality and vigor to those suffering from heart failure. This type of heart surgery and the expertise to care for patients with advanced stage heart failure were instrumental in helping The Christ Hospital Health Network open up its heart transplant program three years ago.
The LVAD program, led by Greg Egnaczyk, MD, and the Frank and Margo Homan Family Endowed Chair for Heart Failure, created the foundation of a successful program. LVAD patients end up spending
“LVAD is a bridge to an eventual heart transplant for those with advanced heart failure,” said Dr. Egnaczyk. “I’m proud of how our entire LVAD team has grown the program to what it is today while also giving hundreds of patients a better quality of life while they await a heart transplant. Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans and it’s important for The Christ Hospital to have the best technology and team to care for our community.”
LVAD patients spend extended time in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU). The CVICU at The Christ Hospital has a survival rate 10% higher than the international registry providing better outcomes for cardiogenic shock treated with ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).
Heart failure impacts more than 6 million people in the United States alone with numbers projected to be much higher within a decade. New, innovative LVAD pumps have advanced the field of heart failure treatment and extend the lives of thousands of patients in the United States each year.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For more than 135 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up of more than 1,300 physicians and 7,200 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2025.