Channel: Heart Health
Now Playing: Life-saving Heart Pump
Related Articles
- What Is Heart Failure?
- Slideshow: Foods to Save Your Heart
- WebMD Heart Disease Community
- Heart Attack Directory
- Transcript
You are in the WebMD Content Archive for WebMD Video.
WebMD archives all video content after 48 months to ensure our readers can easily find the most timely content.
To locate the most current information on this topic, please use our search box
Reviewed By: Thomas Maddox,
SOURCES: 2008 Medical Reference from Medstar Television. Sinan Simsir, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
© 1999-2011 Medstar Television
Steps used to be a nightmare for Josh Bristow. (BRISS stoe)
In an average life you take it for granted, but when you have heart failure, stairs are tough.
A transplant wasn't an option; Josh has aids and can't take immune-suppressing drugs.
And the only option available is this LVAD unit.
L-VAD, or a left ventricular assist device, has been used as a bridge to transplant. But for patients with complications…
It's not a bridge, there's no other option. This is where they stay.
Many people can't take anti-rejection medicines, for instance: cancer patients.
If that person has any potential of cancer, or has had cancer of the recent past, and there is some of the potential cancer cells that are floating around, they will flourish.
An equally large group has formed antibodies against other people. These antibodies come from pregnancy, blood transfusions and donor organs.
They have a very revved up, heightened immunity and they already formed in their body, antibodies against people out there.
Doctor Simsir (simm SEER) says transplants won't work if a patient has a high degree of sensitivity.
Even with immuno-suppressive therapy, they're very likely to eventually reject it.
So for patients like josh, this long-term pump is what keeps him moving toward new destinations. For WebMD, I'm Damon Meharg.
Back Pain Test
Exercise for Better Sex
Vinegar for Diabetes
Drink Your Way To Weight Loss
Pre-Diabetes
Gallbladder Basics
Weight Loss Secret Weapon
IBS Trigger Foods
Does Porn Hurt a Relationship?
Male Orgasms: How They Change
Cholesterol-Busting Exercise
What's Your Sleep Personality?
Herpes Vaccine Study
Truth about Passing Gas
Are You Using a Condom Correctly?
Snoring Cure
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Diarrhea Causes and Treatments
Acupuncture for Back Pain
Common Constipation Treatments
Dirty Truth About Hand Washing
4-D Ultrasound
ED Exercise
Sex Advice for Single Women
Cholesterol Guidelines
Diagnosing Yeast Infections
Truth About Coffee
Healing Heel Pain
Snacks for Diabetics
Best Butt Exercises
To perform a video search, please enter a term in the search box located to the right of the video player above.
Not Available.
©2005-2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.
