Added: Nov 03, 2008
Patients who have abnormal heart muscle function are prone to developing heart failure. Common symptoms are shortness of breath, and severe fatigue that limit patients ability to do the activities they would like to do. Medical therapy can be effective, but for the patients with severe symptoms, a heart transplant is the last resort. A ventricular assist device or VAD has been used prior to heart transplant as a brigde. Now VAD's are sometimes being used linger term.
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