Ventricular assist devices: is destination therapy a viable alternative in the non-transplant candidate?

The topic of this article, stated a more familiar way, is whether left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are ready for 'Primetime' as a therapeutic option in and of themselves. In order to provide an update and insight on this question, we briefly review from where the field has come, and in more detail describe its current state and where we are heading. We believe the short answer to this question is 'Yes', but like many things, a short answer is not adequate. Here we attempt to deliver a more comprehensive answer, providing some historical context, outlining the great achievements that have been made, as well as the many challenges that still remain before LVADs become a truly mainstream therapy.