What to know about device therapy for heart failure
Heart failure describes the state of the heart’s inability to pump blood as effectively as it should throughout the body. It is a serious condition that can stem from various heart diseases or abnormalities and requires prompt and thorough medical attention. In this article, a consultant cardiologist provides an overview of device therapy for heart failure, an approach that uses surgically implanted technologies to assist the heart in maintaining an adequate heartbeat rate and rhythm. The most common devices used for heart failure treatment include pacemakers, cardiac resynchronisation therapy devices, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and left or right (or both) ventricular assist devices.