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(Circulation. 2001;103:e71.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.

Book Reviews

Cardiac Assist Devices

Denton A. Cooley, MD

Cardiac Assist Devices

Daniel J. Goldstein, ed.

444 pp. New York, NY: Futura Publishing Co; 2000. $115.00. ISBN 0-87993-449-2.

During the past 2 decades, ventricular assist devices (VADs) have evolved from rare, futuristic machines into relatively familiar systems that are increasingly encountered outside the hospital setting. So far, these pumps have been used primarily for treating postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock or for bridging to transplantation in patients with end-stage heart failure. As of July 2000, long-term VADs had been implanted in at least 4000 transplant candidates worldwide. Because of the shortage of donor hearts, VADs are now being evaluated as bridges to recovery or alternatives to transplantation in selected patients. Moreover, several total artificial hearts will soon undergo clinical trials aimed at permanent heart replacement. As the general population continues to age and assist devices continue to evolve, these pumps will become increasingly prevalent in our society.

Cardiac assist technology is advancing so rapidly that it is hard even for specialists to keep abreast of the latest developments. So far, the main sources of information about these devices have been journal articles and symposium proceedings. Although this information is abundant, it is not always easy to interpret or put into perspective. Also, most reports focus on a single type of VAD or total artificial heart, so readers may lack a sufficiently broad context to assess the wide array of available systems. Currently, the literature includes only a handful of books on cardiac assistance, including the volume reviewed here; most of these . . . [Full Text of this Article]