Risks There are some risks with a Berlin Heart, but your care team will work hard to keep you safe. Infection The soft cannula will come out of your lower chest and will need to be cleaned frequently. This is important because bacteria lives on your skin and may cause an infection at your cannula …
Benefits The Berlin Heart helps patients with heart failure, as it improves blood circulation. A Berlin Heart may help reduce heart failure symptoms and improve quality of life while waiting for a heart transplant or your heart to get better.
Device Components Cannulae During VAD surgery, your heart surgeon will place cannulae that are special tubes made of a very soft silicone material. These soft cannulae will come out of your lower chest area just below your breastbone. Your heart has two pumping chambers, a left ventricle and a right ventricle. Your cardiologist and surgeon …
Navigating such a big and important surgery can feel overwhelming. There are many people and resources available to help you get through your surgery journey and ultimately get you living a more comfortable and healthy life. You can also prepare by reading and learning as much as you can before heading into surgery. Preparing for …
The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) is different from the other VADs because it replaces the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) and the four valves. The TAH-t pumps blood to both the lungs and body. Two tubes (cannulae) come out of the skin and connect to an external machine called a driver. The driver supplies pulses …
You will likely have many questions about the Berlin Heart surgery. Your care team will do their best to answer all of them before you decide to have VAD surgery. Preparing for Surgery After Surgery Recovery Preparing for Surgery What should you expect before VAD surgery? Watch the video below to understand what to expect …
The Berlin Heart EXCOR® (or Berlin Heart) is one of the first-ever VADs designed for infants and children. It has been implanted in thousands of children around the world and can help you get stronger, so you can be in the best place possible to receive a heart transplant. Sometimes, the Berlin Heart will allow your …
