Ventricular Assist Device Treatment in India

Emma Shah, a 58-year-old high school...

Emma Shah, a 58-year-old high school biology teacher and avid gardener, began experiencing profound fatigue and shortness of breath while tending to her roses. Her condition, diagnosed as ischemic cardiomyopathy after a 'widow-maker' heart attack five years prior, had been managed with medication. However, over six months, her symptoms worsened to the point where she could no longer climb a single flight of stairs without gasping for air. Her cardiologist, Dr. Chen, explained that her heart function had deteriorated to a dangerous 15% ejection fraction. With no suitable donor hearts available for transplant, he recommended a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) as a 'bridge to transplant' to sustain her life and restore her energy while she waited. The surgery was intense, but successful. After a month in the hospital learning to manage the LVAD's external controller and batteries, Emma returned home. While adjusting to the constant hum of the device and its lifestyle restrictions was challenging, the outcome was transformative. Her energy returned, allowing her to return to part-time teaching and her garden. Emotionally, she moved from a state of despair and feeling like a burden to her family to one of profound gratitude and cautious optimism, viewing the LVAD not as a limitation, but as a second chance at life while she waits for her new heart.