Abstract

BLANCHET¹, María Josefina. Dispositivos de asistencia ventricular en insuficiencia cardíaca avanzada. Insuf. card. [online]. 2019, vol.14, n.2, pp.70-82. ISSN 1852-3862.

Heart failure (HF) continues to be a highly prevalent disease, affecting 1-2% of the population in developed countries and is therefore a health problem due to the high costs that this entails. Despite advances in pharmacological treatment and implantable devices, it has a poor prognosis. Approximately 5% of patients diagnosed with HF are in an advanced stage of the disease or stage D. In the last three decades, heart transplantation (HT) has become the treatment of choice for this group of very high risk. Unfortunately, a small percentage of patients meet the appropriate age and the absence of comorbidities necessary to access this treatment, in addition to the limitation of the shortage of donors at present. Due to this and the long waiting lists worldwide, the development and use of ventricular assist devices (VAD), which have improved short and long-term survival, due to the quality of life of patients with This serious condition, generating a progressive reduction in the rate of complications. These benefits not only provide an alternative for patients waiting for a HT, but also allow those with reversible contraindications to have the time and opportunity to become suitable candidates, or in case this is not possible, their final use as therapy of destiny. Even so, there are many limitations of these devices: their cost, their durability, the rate of complications and their application to a limited spectrum of patients. The technological advance to alleviate the complications, the greater experience in the centers of management and its generalization to allow a lower cost are strategies that will allow the use of VAD in patients with advanced HF to continue strengthening.

Keywords : Ventricular assist devices; ; Heart failure; Heart transplant; Mechanical circulatory support; Complications.

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