1. < Heart & Blood Health

Anyone have experience with a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)?

Posted by chipmunk16666 @chipmunk16666, Mar 20, 2016

I just had a lvad placed last month, i was wondering if anyone else has experience with one?i also have an icd which was turned off during surgery because the lvad runs my heart now.

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kasotarat | @kasotarat | Sep 18, 2022
In reply to @marleneizzy1 "New to this forum, I turn to the communicate for input. We recently been referred to..." + (show)
@marleneizzy1

New to this forum, I turn to the communicate for input. We recently been referred to the Mayo Clinic (awaiting for an appointment) for consultation on LVAD and if it's the right stage for my husband to get. I have read so many complication that I do not know where to turn to. Any input is greatly appreciated. My husband is very depressed in thinking about another open heart surgery. Am devastated and cry every day in secret. He had open heart surgery 9 years ago to replace the aortic valve and it was not fun. Anyone with the LVAD passed the 2 year mark?

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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?

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kasotarat | @kasotarat | Sep 18, 2022
In reply to @chipmunk16666 "I have an icd but when they installed the lvad=heart pump they turned it off. But..." + (show)
@chipmunk16666

I have an icd but when they installed the lvad=heart pump they turned it off. But i can share experience about icds the lvad is new to me

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In a way I kind of wished it would have shut my ICD off. I need it for the Pacer though but I must be up to 30 some shocks now. Got a little PTSD from them

REPLY
kasotarat | @kasotarat | Sep 18, 2022
In reply to @kasotarat "I have a heartmate lvad. It has been nothing but trouble. Yes, it has kept me..." + (show)
@kasotarat

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?

Jump to this post

Correction I have the heartware device Generation 1. There is very little clothing, very little options in vests. Because the machine was new and recalled quickly nobody bothered to make anything for it. I'm sorry to sound so disgruntled about my experience but let me say again it has let me stay with my family longer, I stayed with my dog till she passed away just last week, repaired relationships in the family and forgive a lot of people. And I finished my little bucket list I made for myself. Ultimately I never would have been able to do that without the lvad. But I spent the first two years minus Maybe 3 months in the hospital dealing with this POS. Once again I have the heart ware. Anybody reading this if there are only two options you definitely want the heartmate 3. But this is September 2022 hopefully by God they invented something better if you're reading this in the future well distant future.

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