title: Implantable mechanical circulatory support: demystifying patients with ventricular assist devices and artificial hearts.
abstract: Engineering advancements have expanded the role for mechanical circulatory support devices in the patient with heart failure. More patients with mechanical circulatory support are being discharged from the implanting institution and will be seen by clinicians outside the immediate surgical or heart-failure team. This review provides a practical understanding of device design and physiology, general troubleshooting, and limitations and complications for implantable left ventricular assist devices (pulsatile-flow and continuous-flow pumps) and the total artificial heart.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, The Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Program of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0204, USA. kshah@mcvh-vcu.edu
authors.forename: Keyur B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harton
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flattery
authors.forename: Gundars J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Katlaps
authors.forename: Vigneshwar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kasirajan
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hess
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans