title: Cardiac failure and left ventricular assist devices.
abstract: LVADs represent advanced therapy for cardiac failure. The anesthesiologist's contribution to the pre-, intra-, and postoperative management of these challenging patients continues to grow as LVAD technology is refined and as more patients become eligible to receive these life-saving devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology, Texas Heart Institute, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation