I19 -- May 2008 -- VAD for Lifetime Use

Intro: Right now there are close to 5-million people in America suffering from heart failure. Many of these people would benefit from a heart transplant, but because most of them are over age 65, they're often not eligible for that life-saving operation. But now, doctors at Mayo Clinic are studying a device that is not only keeping people with heart failure alive longer, but it's also giving them a better quality of life.

AFTER 76 YEARS OF MUSIC, END-STAGE HEART FAILURE HAS SILENCED VERNA SCHROMBECK'S PIANO.

"I COULD NOT SIT AT THE PIANO. I WAS NOT HEALTHY ENOUGH. I WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH. AND MY FINGERS WOULD NOT FUNCTION."

"I WAS JUST IN VERY, VERY SERIOUS CONDITION."

BUT VERNA IS BACK AT THE KEYBOARD THANKS TO A DEVICE IMPLANTED AT MAYO CLINIC. IT'S CALLED A VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE, OR VAD.

"THE VAD THERAPIES ARE FOR A PERSON WHO HAS AN ENLARGED HEART THAT DOESN'T CONTRACT WELL. IT DOESN'T SQUEEZE AND PUMP BLOOD TO THE REST OF THE BODY."

CARDIOLOGIST DR. MARGARET REDFIELD TEAMED UP WITH SURGEON SOON JOHN PARK.

"IT'S A HEART ASSISTING PUMP."

DURING OPEN HEART SURGERY, DR. PARK IMPLANTED THE DEVICE NEAR VERNA'S HEART. IT'S CONNECTED TO THE HEART'S MAIN PUMPING CHAMBER (THE LEFT VENTRICLE) AND TO THE MAIN ARTERY CARRYING BLOOD OUT TO THE BODY. A SMALL WIRE EXTENDS OUTSIDE OF HER BODY AND HOOKS TO AN EXTERNAL BATTERY PACK. WHEN TURNED ON, THE PUMP TAKES OVER MUCH OF HER HEART'S WORK AND DELIVERS A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF BLOOD TO HER BODY.
"IT COULD EFFECTIVELY REPLACE MOST OF THE HEART FUNCTION FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM HEART FAILURE."

"I FEEL ALMOST SO NORMAL THAT I WANT TO GET UP AND DO THINGS WITHOUT REMEMBERING THAT I'M CARRYING THIS VAD EQUIPMENT WITH ME."

BUT VERNA SAYS CARRYING THE BATTERY PACK, WHICH SHE CHANGES EVERY 5 HOURS OR SO, IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR LIFE AND MUSIC.

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.



Anchor tag: VAD therapy used to be used to keep people alive while they wait for a heart transplant. Now it's being studied for use in people like Verna — as life-long therapy. Dr. Park says the technology is relatively new so they don't have long term results. But there have been people on the device for 7 and ½ years. For more information, visit our Website at …

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