The UHS Heart & Vascular Institute has opened a new outpatient clinic focused on treating advanced heart failure through the use of a mechanical implant.
The Left Ventricular Assist Device Clinic at the institute specializes in caring for patients who have a special mechanical device that helps the heart pump blood.
The LVAD system helps patients with advanced heart failure pump blood.
Until now, most qualifying heart failure patients in Greater Binghamton had to travel to other cities for checkups and maintenance after the device was implanted, but now evaluations and routine visits can be conducted at UHS Wilson Medical Center.
“There are a lot of advanced heart failure patients in this community,” said Rasha Aurshiya, MD, cardiologist and heart failure specialist at UHS Cardiology and the Heart & Vascular Institute. “Now we can do the work-ups for these patients here at the institute and establish relationships with the major centers where the device is implanted.”
The LVAD Clinic addresses several common issues that can occur with these devices. A typical visit includes dressing and care for the driveline that connects the device to the patient’s body, an infection and anticoagulation check-up, and imaging studies if needed.
Dr. Aurshiya noted that the clinic also evaluates patients who may be candidates for the implants or for heart transplants, and that treating advanced heart failure as early as possible is key to a better life.
“Patients who live with advanced heart failure sometimes don’t recognize that these devices can improve their quality of life,” Dr. Aurshiya said. “Without the right treatment, they often will progress to a stage where they are no longer candidates for LVAD. We want to catch these patients before they get to that stage.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT LVAD
If you have been diagnosed with heart failure, talk with your provider about the left ventricular assist device and whether the services of the LVAD Clinic might be right for you. For general information about heart care, visit nyuhs.org.
