Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) - Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)

California Pacific Medical Center offers leading-edge medical and surgical therapies for patients with end-stage heart disease, many of who travel throughout Northern California and the San Francisco Bay area to seek the medical expertise of our top surgeons and cardiologists. The program is actively involved in research clinical trials, allowing patients the unique opportunity of direct access to some of the newest medications, innovative surgical treatments and therapeutic devices. Combined with an experienced team of surgeons, cardiologists, interventionalists and cardiac nurses, these advanced therapies can help heart failure patients – both adults and children – lead longer and fuller lives.

Advanced surgical treatment options include ventricular assist devices (VAD), an implanted mechanical device assisting the heart’s pumping function. VADs are used as a bridge-to-transplant – supporting the circulation in patients who have run out of options while waiting for a donor organ – or as destination therapy, permanent, long-term therapy for patients who are not eligible for heart transplant.

As new devices become available, both in clinical trials and after federal approval, California Pacific patients are often the first to benefit from their use.

Ventricular Assist Device / VAD - Treatment Options and Guidelines

Treatment options and guidelines for Ventricular Assist Device / VAD will vary by patient, depending on your heart / cardiovascular health as assessed by a physician. Obtaining information on Ventricular Assist Device / VAD is your first step towards evaluating treatment options.

As on the best heart / cardiac centers in San Francisco, California and the United States at one of the top private hospital networks, our program offers state of the art treatment options for heart / cardiovascular disease including Ventricular Assist Device / VAD.

California Pacific initiated the nation’s first heart transplant service in a private institution in 1984 and has been at the forefront of heart and cardiovascular disease management and heart transplantation ever since. With heart disease affecting an estimated 58 million people in the U.S. alone, medical researchers continue to pursue better treatment options. Our surgeons and physicians provide high quality heart health treatment options for people in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, the USA, and beyond.

California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center

California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center is supported by one of the best heart hospital/center networks in the USA, offering quality, comprehensive patient-centered cardiovascular care by a team of top heart surgeons and physicians with leading-edge technology. Serving the entire San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco and Marin County, as well as the entire Northern California region, our team has many of the best cardiovascular surgeons and physicians in California and the United States.

Identifying the Best Treatment Options and VAD / LVAD Specialist for You

Our commitment at CPMC is to help each patient identify the best doctor for their diagnosis and course of treatment. To find the best specialist for VAD / LVAD, we want to empower our patients to participate in their health care journey. This means encouraging a frank discussion with the doctor about VAD / LVAD, to identify all appropriate treatment options as well as to discuss symptoms, issues, outcomes, etc., when relevant for VAD / LVAD. The first step of your journey is research - using online tools such as CPMC's to investigate and understand VAD / LVAD. The second step is to schedule an initial consultation with a physician or specialist. In some cases, you'll need to go through your primary care physician if you do not have a referral. If you already have a referral,you can schedule an appointment directly with the VAD / LVAD specialist. The third step is for the specialist in VAD / LVAD to meet with you and review your history. As part of the diagnosis, you may need testing, so the doctor (surgeon or specialist) can discuss your treatment options and the both of you can determine your best course of action. We have patients at CPMC coming from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Northern California, and many from throughout the United States with respect to VAD / LVAD. Whether you are from San Francisco, Marin, the San Francisco Bay Area generally or any other location, our physicians will provide the hands-on care you deserve.