Heart Transplant Waiting Lists and LVADs: A Policy That…

Heart Transplant Waiting Lists and LVADs: A Policy That May Come Too Late For patients with end-stage heart failure, a Left Ventricular Assist Device or LVAD can be a lifeline while they wait for a heart transplant. But a new study from Stanford University raises a serious question about an upcoming policy change meant to help these patients. Is the help arriving too late? In 2018, the US heart transplant allocation system was overhauled. Stable LVAD patients dropped from second-highest priority to status 4, near the bottom. Transplant centres responded by moving away from durable LVADs toward temporary devices that qualify for higher priority status. Recognising this problem, the OPTN recently approved a new policy: patients with durable LVADs for 6 years will move to status 3