Are we ready to implant left ventricular assist devices in "less sick" patients?

Left ventricular assist devices improve survival for New York Heart Association class IV patients as both destination therapy and bridge-to-transplant therapy. This clinical benefit has been demonstrated in multiple clinical trials whose medical comparator arm consists of patients with very poor survival. This article discusses the potential use of left ventricular assist devices in a less sick group of patients with end-stage congestive heart failure.