Heart transplants are hard to come by, making the process frustrating and scary for many patients. For those over 70, who are ineligible for transplant, there is no other option but to explore other solutions or go into hospice.
Enter the “jet engine” heart.
Things are looking up for 72-year-old Peter Westrum from Branson, Missouri, who previously could barely walk very far before getting fatigued and was having trouble eating. Since his transplant, his spirits are up and he enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast with his medical team.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
The left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is being referred to as a “jet engine” because it circulates blood in a similar fashion. The device has been available since 2010. Since then, the technology has become more widespread, 18,000 patients have received the procedure, but is still only available within an elite group of hospitals.
“There’s two types of people who benefit from this device.” The first type is someone waiting for a heart transplant. “The other group is the patients who are not transplant candidates because of age or other problems,” said Dr. Oghlakian, who helped with Westrum’s procedure.
Only 150 hospitals across the country are implanting LVADs, and only 40 are stand alone centers like Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri.
[Photo from flickr user Sarah East]
