Economics of ventricular assist devices: European view.

Among the treatment options for congestive heart failure, ventricular assist devices (VADs) are an emerging new technology, which may serve as a realistic therapeutic option once the complication rate is reduced. Whereas these devices were used in the past almost exclusively as a bridge to transplant, today permanent VAD and full-implantable VAD are considered for destination therapy. It is therefore necessary to compare this treatment modality with other current strategies with regard to not only current survival, quality of life, and complication metrics but also relative costs between treatments. Comparable studies evaluating treatment costs are rare and future research must focus on theses issues because of the demands of permanent cost containment.