A person remains alive even without a beating. It is possible medically now. Neither heart rate, nor pulse rate nor average blood pressure. Still man is living. This is an amazing artificial heart ie left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The LVAD is a mechanical pump the size of a human palm. It consists of a wire, which is connected to an external charged battery. An impeller inside the pump rotates thousands of times in a minute and continuously supplies blood to the body without stopping. This means that patients with LVAD do not have pulse or heartbeat or blood pressure. Only through battery, LVAD works the heart and keeps the patient’s life going.

Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Keval Krishnan at Max Saket said that LVAD is a device that adds 13 to 15 years to the lives of people experiencing early heart failure. It enhances the function of the heart and is used as a temporary measure until the heart can be transplanted. This is done as a final medical option.

He said that Max has implanted more than a dozen LVADs so far. These include 7-year-old girls and 81-year-old female patients. Four of them are leading a normal life even after 5 years of the implant. The rest of the patients are also good and it is expected that they will live many more years with the help of this device. LVAD is gradually emerging as a good alternative to heart transplant.

50-year-old Neelam Sodhi is the first female patient of Max Hospital to have been given LVAD. He had severe breathing problems and coughs for almost six years. He had previously undergone cardiac arrest, but his condition improved slightly with pacemakers and medications. He was placed on ventilator, as his heart was working at only 20 percent of its capacity. Heart donor was not found, so doctors suggested LVAD transplant. This process was done in 2016. She has been fine ever since and is leading a normal life. Similarly, 61-year-old Shyam Sundar Aggarwal and 73-year-old Ram Pratap Garg are living their normal lives after LVAD.