Each year approximately 400,000 Americans are diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF). Although in  some cases it can be monitored and treated to improve heart function and reduce symptoms, CHF is a serious form of heart disease, and serious cases may require heart transplantation. In some cases, the patient may be helped by a new procedure called left ventricular reduction.

Because of the shortage of donor hearts, heart assist devices are often used to keep patients alive while they await heart transplant. Assist devices, which take over the majority of the heart's pumping function, allow the heart to rest, heal, and grow stronger. As a result, patients often become healthier and stronger before they undergo transplant surgery.

Likewise, surgeons can use heart assist devices as bridges to the left ventricular reduction procedure. By implanting the assist device and permitting the heart to rest, the damaged heart cells may return to normal. The assist device can then be removed, and a left ventricular reduction can be performed. Thus far, the results have been promising.

There are two kinds of hear assist devices used today. One is the electrically powered device, and the other is the pneumatic device. They are both illustrated here.

Surgical Associates of Texas, P.A., the cardiovascular surgical team at the Texas Heart Institute, have more experience than any other cardiovascular surgical group in the world, having performed approximately 100,000 open heart surgeries of all types and degrees of complexity and over 800 heart transplants. Many of our patients have had successful operations and recovery when previously led to believe that no further treatment options were possible.