Should Eligibility for Heart Transplantation be a Requirement for Left Ventricular Assist Device Use? Recommendations Based on a Systematic Review
Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are used in chronic end-stage heart failure as "bridge to transplantation" (BTT) and, more recently, for transplant-ineligible patients as "destination therapy" (DT). We reviewed the evidence on clinical effects and cost-effectiveness of 2 types of continuous-flow LVADs (HeartMate II [HM II] and HeartWare), for BTT and DT patients.
