Key points from today’s guests:

Erica Owens, LVAD user

• Erica is a 31-year-old mother of six who faced heart failure after giving birth in 2021.
• She was misdiagnosed at other places and came to The University of Kansas Health System for treatment.
• Her heart was enlarged and her resting heart rate was 200 beats per minute.
• Erica received an LVAD (left ventricular assist device) implant, which has allowed her to return to an active life, including taking 10,000 steps daily.
• She wears a cross body bag which is connected to her and powers the device.
• Erica’s story highlights the advancements in heart failure treatment and the importance of family support.
• She said she felt like the staff at the Health System actually cared about her and is thankful they were able to save her.

Dr. Zubair Shah, heart failure and transplantation cardiologist, The University of Kansas Health System

• Some women do develop heart failure with pregnancies.
• Because the LVAD is doing the work, Erica now has a very faint audible heartbeat, but that is normal.
• There is no firm qualifications to be a candidate for an LVAD – we try to save all sick patients.
• We need strong family support for the patient to help them with the process, especially changing the dressings.
• Erica had exceptional support from her family.
• Knowing the impact you made, not only on the patient, but on the family, is extremely rewarding.

Dr. Matt Danter, thoracic surgeon, surgical director, Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support, The University of Kansas Health System

• The pumps have been progressively getting smaller.
• The data is also showing longer longevity of the pumps so we don’t have to go in as often to replace them.
• The greatest reason for Erica’s success is Tess and the team and Erica and her family doing the right things.
• It is very rewarding for me to see patients like Erica, because I typically don’t get to see them after surgery unless there is an issue.

Tess Rusbarsky, R.N., Erica’s LVAD coordinator, The University of Kansas Health System

• When we explain how this LVAD device works, we start with the basics of making connections from wall power to battery power so you can be mobile.
• One of the biggest things that you require is a caregiver. And in this case, it was Erica's mom and her biggest task would be learning how to change the driveline dressing, which is a sterile procedure.
• Watching people like Erica thrive is so rewarding.