Board certified as a critical care physician, Dr. Jose Diaz-Gomez serves as section chief at Baylor Medical Center in Houston. Among Dr. Jose Diaz-Gomez’ areas of extensive knowledge is left ventricular assist devices (LVAD).

Reserved for patients who are approaching end-stage heart failure, the LVAD is a battery-operated, mechanical pump inserted into the heart’s primary pumping chamber, the left ventricle. This chamber is what drives circulation throughout the body and thus is critical to life. Implanting a LVAD necessitates open-heart surgery and the major risks this poses. However, it is preferable to the alternative, severe heart failure.

LVAD continuous flow devices are sometimes also used as part of bridge-to-transplant therapy, in which they ensure proper blood flow until a heart transplant becomes available. In a number of cases, the LVAD restores the heart to a point where a transplant is no longer necessary. Alternatively, the LVAD used long term, in cases where patients are not eligible for transplants.