Recently, country
music star Randy Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy. Unlike
reported previously, he did not undergo heart surgery. Randy received the
Impella pump, a left ventricular assist device-LVAD. The Impella comes in
several models, all of which are inserted percutaneously or minimally
invasively through various arteries into the left ventricle.
The device is temporary, however, and is meant to allow the
heart to rest and recover.
Theoretically, if the heart continues to worsen, the next step
would be to receive a larger LV pump, which can be permanent or temporary,
serving as a bridge to heart transplantation.
Viral cardiomyopathy is an episode of heart failure caused by
the same viruses responsible for upper respiratory tract infection,
gastrointestinal distress, and other common conditions.
About 40% of people with viral cardiomyopathy will experience
spontaneous recovery," said Clyde Yancy, MD, chief of cardiology at
Northwestern University in Chicago and a former president of the American Heart
Association.
The rest of the July 10th article can be found at
this address Randy
Travis LVAD
