Heart and Vascular Care
Mechanical Circulatory Support
Mechanical circulatory support systems are devices that keep the heart functioning in patients with life-threatening heart disease.
Mechanical assist devices can be used to help a heart become stronger, as a temporary support tool until a patient can receive a heart transplant or as a permanent treatment.
San Diego's leader in mechanical circulatory support devices.
At Sharp Memorial Hospital, we use mechanical circulatory support devices to supplement the pumping function of hearts for patients with advanced heart failure.
Different devices are used depending on the individual needs of each patient. These include long-term left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs) such as HeartMate II® and HeartMate III®, as well as short-term systems that can be removed if your heart regains strength, or to support you if you're in the hospital.
We offer a variety of mechanical circulatory support systems to meet your specific needs. These include long-term left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs) such as HeartMate II® and HeartMate III®, as well as short-term systems that can be removed if your heart regains strength or to support you if you're in the hospital.
A legacy of excellence in cardiac care.
Sharp Memorial currently holds the record for the oldest person implanted with an LVAD (87 years old at the time) as well as the longest-living LVAD recipient (the patient received the device in 2002). And, in 2006, we successfully removed a pump from the world's youngest patient — age 16 at the time — after his heart recovered from an injury.
In 2008, Sharp Memorial became one of the first facilities in the United States to receive advanced certification in ventricular assist devices from The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of U.S. health care organizations. We are proud to be a national leader in clinical trials for mechanical circulatory support systems, often selected in the first tier for participation. And Sharp Memorial is also an international destination training center for HeartMate II.
At Sharp, we use several different types of mechanical circulatory support devices. Different devices are used depending on each patient's individual needs.
Why choose us?
- Active participation in clinical trials, enabling many devices to receive FDA approval and be used more safely and effectively
- Comprehensive onsite heart rehabilitation program
- Nationally recognized clinical researchers and authors covering issues relating to artificial heart pumps
- Sharp Memorial Hospital has advanced certification in ventricular assist devices from The Joint Commission
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