100th LVAD Celebration at TGH

Wednesday, I had the honour of attending the 100th LVAD [Left Ventricle Assist Device] Celebration at Toronto General Hospital.  The event featured talks by Dr. Heather Ross & Dr. Vivek Rao, both of whom are part of the heart transplant team at TGH.

In 2001, Dr. Rao [Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplantation at TGH], implanted the first LVAD on patient, Mike Schmidt.  The 100th was implanted in February, 2011.  Currently, there were two LVAD implants scheduled for this week and one for next.  Ontario recently provided funding to cover the implantation of twenty LVADs.  Prior to that, the cost was covered by donations.

Current & past LVAD patients & transplant patients with Dr. Rao

The LVAD provides a patient with heart failure with three options:

1. A bridge to a recovery [explanting or removing of the LVAD leaving the native heart]
2. A bridge to a transplant
3. Destination Therapy [end of life]

In Canada, heart failure is the number one reason for hospital admission.  Of the five hundred thousand Canadians are living with heart failure, 25-40% are at risk of dying one year after diagnosis.  The average life expectancy after diagnosis is 2.1 years.  Of all those diagnosed with severe heart failure only 5% qualify for a transplant or LVAD

My dad, John, with Dr. Delgado.  Dr. Delgado is a member of the TGH transplant team & one of my dad's cardiologists.

In all, it was a very informative session and celebration on a lovely, sunny afternoon in Toronto & wonderful to be invited to such a great event and see familiar faces.  We really are incredibly lucky to have such a cutting edge, competent and caring team at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at Toronto General Hospital!