I have a heartmate lvad. It has been nothing but trouble. Yes, it has kept me alive in the literal sense but.. my machine has been recalled for over 14 different reasons now I've been involved with three of the recalls. I was told I was going to be put on a transplant list as soon as I got my BMI down. Well that took like a month. A year and a half later I asked so where am I on the list? They replied, you're not on the list. I never would have got this damn thing if not for being on the list. Then they sold me this thing over the heartmate. Telling me new is better. So yes my machine has kept me alive and I've got to be with my family a little while longer but I feel completely used for a study. And then I was completely dropped when my lvad got recalled. The whole atmosphere changed. It was like they didn't know me didn't give a s*** about me and I was annoying them. I can't say anything about other people's experiences because I know they do a lot of good but, Mayo really screwed me over and used me. I was put into a control group never going to get a transplant. And was never told. Nice huh?