Hatice Duygu Bas MD, Kazim Baser MD, Nandini Nair MD, PhD
Advanced heart failure defines a subset of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction having severe symptoms despite usual recommended therapy. These patients require frequent hospitalizations and specialized interventions, such as cardiac transplantation, implantation of mechanical circulatory support devices, continuous intravenous inotropic therapy to palliate symptoms, or continued terminal care. This review summarizes the management of advanced heart failure with updates in medical therapy and recent advances in surgical therapy, particularly left ventricular assist device therapy.
Keywords: Advanced heart failure, left ventricular assist devices
Article citation: Bas HD, Baser K, Nair N. Updates on management of advanced heart failure. The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care chronicles 2017; 5 (20):12-21.
From: Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
Submitted: 5/13/2017
Accepted: 6/7/2017
Reviewer: Scott Shurmur MD, Anurag Singh MD
Conflicts of interest: none