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Review
. 2025 Jul 22;17(7):e88527.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.88527. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Impact of Left Ventricular Assist Devices on the Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes in Advanced Heart Failure: A Comprehensive Review

Syed Maaz Shah  1 , Hira Saleem  2 , Vaisnavy Govindasamy  3 , Amandeep Rathi  4 , Neha Haris  5 , Ramsha Ali  6 , Lakshmi Devi  7 , Layal E Omaruddin  8 , Krishna S Pavuluri  9 , Anit M Joseph  10 , Abdullah Tariq  11
Affiliations
Review

Impact of Left Ventricular Assist Devices on the Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes in Advanced Heart Failure: A Comprehensive Review

Syed Maaz Shah et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Managing advanced heart failure (HF) remains a major clinical challenge, especially for patients who no longer respond to conventional treatment options, or are not candidates for heart transplantation. In such cases, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become an important option, offering mechanical support that has the potential to extend life and improve daily functioning. With ongoing advancements in technology, there is growing interest in understanding how LVADs impact not just survival, but also patients' quality of life (QoL) and overall recovery. This narrative review explores the role of LVAD therapy in improving functional status and QoL in patients with advanced HF. It draws on clinical research from the past 15 years to examine physical, psychological, and social outcomes, as well as the challenges and complications associated with this treatment. A structured PubMed search was performed using predefined MeSH terms and keywords related to LVADs. After removing duplicates, 68 articles were identified. Eleven reviewers screened titles and abstracts, followed by full-text review and data extraction. Studies were included if they involved adults, were conducted in the past 15 years, and used clinical or observational study designs. Non-English, pediatric, and pregnancy-related studies were excluded. A total of 44 studies met the criteria. LVADs were associated with improvements in physical function, exercise capacity, and QoL. However, patients often faced psychological stress and medical complications. Better pre-implant health and strong support systems contributed to more favorable outcomes. LVADs offer meaningful improvements in both survival and QoL, but holistic, patient-centered care remains key to optimizing outcomes.

Keywords: 6 minute walk test; bridge to transplant; complications; destination therapy; functional recovery; heart failure; left ventricular assist device; lvad; psychological support; quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Burden of stage-D heart failure
The given statistics are according to the USA population, as reported by the Journal of the American Heart Association [7]. Image credits: Neha Haris; created in BioRender.com HT: Heart transplant; LVAD: Left ventricular assist device
Figure 2
Figure 2. Highlights of left ventricular assisted devices in heart failure
Image credits: Amandeep Rathi; created in BioRender.com LVAD: Left ventricular assisted devices; QoL: Quality of life; eGFR: Estimated glomerular filtration rate; INTERMACS: Interagency registry for mechanically assisted circulatory support; NYHA: New York Heart Association
Figure 3
Figure 3. Implications of left ventricular assisted devices on quality of life
Image credits: Amandeep Rathi; created in BioRender.com LVAD: Left ventricular assisted devices; ADLs: Activities of daily living
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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