Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) Slideshow Pictures Cholesterol Drugs Slideshow Pictures Take the Heart Disease Quiz!

Congestive Heart Failure Surgery

Surgery can repair some underlying causes of heart failure, such as blockage of the coronary arteries, a valve problem, a congenital heart defect, or too thick of a pericardium. However, once the heart's ability to pump blood is severely, permanently, and irreversibly impaired, no surgery can repair the damage. The only alternative is a heart transplant. This option is for patients who are not elderly and who do not have other medical conditions that would make it unlikely for a heart transplant to be successful. Heart transplant evaluations are done in specialized centers.

• Intra-aortic balloon pump is used as a temporary support of left ventricle function, such as in a large heart attack, waiting for the heart to recover.
  
  
• Left ventricle assist device (LVAD) is surgically implanted to mechanically bypass the left ventricle. A clinical trial showed that complications are too high and the device did not significantly prolong life if used on a long-term basis. This device is used as a temporary left ventricle support to get the patient awaiting a heart transplant out of bed.
  
  
• Left ventricle volume reduction surgery, which removes a piece of dead heart muscle, is considered experimental at this time.
  
  
• Totally implantable artificial hearts are being developed for patients with severe, end-stage heart failure.
  
  
  • These devices are most commonly used as a temporary bridge to heart transplantation.
    
    
  • This technique is constantly improving but is still limited to specialized centers and is considered experimental at this time.