Overview of Ventricular Assist Devices and the Total Artificial Heart

Background Patients with isolated left ventricular failure may have positive outcomes after being implanted with a left ventricular assist device. Unfortunately, almost half of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction also have evidence of right ventricular dysfunction. For a subset of this population with severe biventricular failure, or those who develop right ventricular dysfunction after left ventricular assist device implantation, patients may necessitate biventricular assist devices or the total artificial heart. Objectives This overview of mechanical circulatory support devices will enhance nurses' ability to differentiate criteria for implantation, current practice, and outcomes with a focus on durable ventricular assist devices and the total artificial heart. Methods A review of the literature involved searching CINAHL and PubMed databases using keywords biventricular assist devices, total artificial heart, and durable mechanical circulatory support. Results were narrowed to articles based on adults, 18 years or older. Seventy-eight relevant articles were identified, and 8 articles compared the durable biventricular assist devices. Results Similar patient outcomes were found when comparing the use of left ventricular assist devices as biventricular support versus the total artificial heart. Discussion The decision to implant the appropriate durable mechanical circulatory support for a patient in biventricular failure is complex and dependent on patient factors.