UPMC Advanced Heart Failure Center

Our Experts at the UPMC Advanced Heart Failure Center

The multidisciplinary team at the Advanced Heart Failure Center strives to deliver the best in comprehensive cardiac care.

Our world-class cardiologists and cardiac surgeons apply their considerable expertise to helping people live healthier lives.

Cardiologists

• Gavin Hickey, MD
• Jonathan Holtz, MD
• Mary Keebler, MD
• Michael Mathier, MD
• Dennis McNamara, MD
• Brittany Palmer, MD
• Ravi Ramani, MD
• Marc Simon, MD

Cardiac surgeons

• Robert L. Kormos, MD
• Arman Kilic, MD
• Christopher Sciortino, MD, PhD

» To make an appointment with an expert at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, call 1-855-876-2484 (UPMC-HVI).

Types of Ventricular Assist Devices

UPMC's heart failure experts have implanted more than 1,000 ventricular assist devices (VADs) from a variety of manufacturers. Learn more about the VADs we use at the Advanced Heart Failure Center below.

Abbott HeartMate™ II
	Continuous flow device. Implanted pump is about the size of a D-cell battery. An impeller spins at high speeds to provide blood flow up to 10 liters per minute. Provides support for the left side of the heart. Suitable for smaller patients. Highly mobile; you are typically discharged from the hospital. Has been implanted in more than 2,000 patients in the United States. Types of therapy: approved for bridge to transplantation; currently in clinical trials for use as destination therapy.
Abbott HeartMate™ 3
	Continuous flow centrifugal device. Can pump up to 10 liters per minute of blood. Currently in clinical trials for use as bridge to transplant and destination therapy. Types of therapy: Approved for bridge to transplant and destination therapy.
HeartWare® Ventricular Assist System
	Helps your weakened heart pump blood by removing blood from the left side of the heart and pumping it into the aorta. Pump rests inside the chest with a cable exiting the skin that connects to an externally worn controller. Battery-pack-powered controller operates the pump and can provide you with signals and alarms concerning the system’s operation. Controller and batteries are contained in a carrying case worn around your waist or over your shoulder. Types of therapy: approved for bridge to transplantation
Abbott PVAD™
	Can support the right or left side of the heart, or both sides simultaneously. External pump located outside of the body is driven pneumatically (by air pressure) rather than electrically. Primary controller, used after surgery in the hospital, is a 450-pound, air-driven console. Smaller, portable 30-pound driver allows you to be discharged from the hospital and can also run on rechargeable battery power. Types of therapy: approved for bridge to transplantation, and bridge to recovery after open-heart surgery.

™ ® The above product names are registered trademarks of:

• HeartWare International Inc.
• Abbott

Mary Keebler, MD, Medical Director of the UPMC Advanced Heart Failure Center, explains ventricular assist devices (VADs).

Watch Videos on Advanced Heart Failure

Contact the Advanced Heart Failure Center at UPMC

For Patients

We welcome your questions and comments and hope to help in any way that we can.

For more information on the Advanced Heart Failure Center, or to make an appointment:

• Call 1-855-876-2484 (UPMC-HVI), option 1, Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (EST).
• Send an e-mail: HeartAndVascular@upmc.edu.
• Complete our Heart and Vascular Institute information request form.

For Physicians

For non-urgent referrals, call the UPMC Advanced Heart Failure Center at 1-844-876-2432 (UPMC-HEART).

To refer a patient or request a consultation, call UPMC's 24-hour physician referral service at:

• 1-866-884-8579 or
• 412-692-2400