Advanced Heart Failure

Trust your heart care with the first and only multidisciplinary heart failure team in the state.

At the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, our board-certified, fellowship-trained heart failure specialists use the latest technologies and treatments to diagnose and care for all levels of heart failure. As the first and only multidisciplinary heart failure team in the state, our team includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, exercise physiologists, social workers, and dietitians who work together to provide the best care possible.

Having a team of experts means that every aspect of your care is covered. Our goals are to:

• Help you live longer
• Reduce the need for emergency room visits and hospital stays
• Relieve symptoms and improve your quality of life
• Slow the progression of the disease

Treatment depends on the type, cause, symptoms, and severity of your heart failure, and we often use a combination of therapies to provide the best results.

Conditions and Treatments

Heart failure is one of the most common reasons for hospital admissions and readmissions in West Virginia. While heart failure is a serious and progressive condition, some cases can be improved or even reversed with proper treatment. Even when the heart muscle is weakened, there are several treatments available that can relieve symptoms and slow or stop the condition from getting worse. These conditions and treatments include:

• Barostim™ Baroreflex Activation Therapy
• Cardiac Amyloidosis
• Cardiac Sarcoidosis
• Cardiogenic Shock
• Cardio-Oncology
• Heart Failure
• Heart Transplant
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
• Infiltrative Heart Disease
• Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)
• Pulmonary Hypertension

The Center for Advanced Heart Failure and Mechanical Cardiology Support

The Center for Advanced Heart Failure and Mechanical Cardiology Support, the only such center in the region, is an area of special care at WVU Medicine. It provides IV inotropic therapy to stable outpatients with advanced heart failure, with a goal of improving functional level and avoiding hospitalization. The center is an important resource for the state, reducing the number of emergency room visits and lowering health costs for heart patients. Many patients receive treatment through medication. The treatments are especially useful for patients who are at the maximum dosage of other heart drugs, people awaiting a heart transplant, or people who have a heart muscle disease. The treatment also helps patients breathe more easily.

Patient Support Groups

WVU Heart and Vascular Institute Heart Failure Facebook Support Group This private Facebook group is a resource where patients diagnosed with heart failure can connect with others while learning about their condition and its management. To join the group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/wvuheartfailure. For details, contact Debra Hairston at 304-285-7900 or email [email protected].

Our Advanced Heart Failure Faculty

Locations

Through partnerships and affiliations with local hospitals and clinics, we bring access to complete comprehensive care for patients across West Virginia, and into surrounding regions, including Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and beyond.