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Artificial Heart Devices

If you are waiting for a heart transplant or have severe symptoms of heart failure that cannot be managed with medical therapy, you may need a temporary support device. At the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Transplant Center, we have extensive experience implanting artificial heart devices in patients with advanced heart failure.

Artificial Heart Devices at Barnes-Jewish Hospital

We offer many devices to help to stabilize your condition until you can receive a heart transplant or long-term support.

Learn more about heart transplant options.

Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support

Your doctor will discuss with you the best option for temporary circulatory support, long-term temporary support or other heart transplant options. For longer-term support, we offer:

Temporary support devices may include:

  • Intra-aortic balloon pump: A device to help the heart pump blood
  • Impella 2.5, 4.0 and 5.0: Pumps to support circulation
  • TandemHeart: A flexible ventricular assist device (VAD)
  • CentriMag: An extracorporeal (outside the body) circulatory support device that also can be used as a ventricular assist device

Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs)

Our transplant surgeons are national leaders in the use of LVADs. If patients are not candidates for heart transplant, they may be candidates for the LVAD as a destination therapy.

We offer the latest advancements in LVADs such as the HeartMate II and HeartWare HVAD. Washington University researchers also are exploring the use of the newest generation of mechanical assist devices as a bridge to heart transplantation or as a permanent solution for heart failure patients.

Find out more about LVADs.

Total Artificial Heart

Our cardiac surgeons implant the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) as a bridge to transplantation in some heart transplant candidates. The total artificial heart (TAH) completely replaces the diseased heart. The goal is to restore normal blood pressure, cardiac output and organ function.

Learn more about the total artificial heart.

Contact Us

For more information about the heart transplant program at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Transplant Center, call 888.998.3757.