Sutter Health network doctors offer leading-edge medical and surgical therapies for advanced heart disease. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS), also called ventricular assist devices (VAD), refers to the use of surgically implanted pumps that assist the failing heart in pumping blood throughout your body. These devices can provide both short-term and long-term support.

Sutter care centers have long been leaders in the field of mechanical circulatory support and continue to be at the forefront of its development. This field’s past and recent growth provides exciting new treatment options for end-stage heart failure. Doctors within the Sutter Health network offer the full spectrum of VAD therapy for heart failure, from temporary support to stabilize the sickest patients to ongoing support as a bridge to heart transplantation or as a permanent treatment.

If you and your doctor choose VAD as a course of treatment, you’ll undergo an evaluation conducted by our multidisciplinary team of experts. You will be assessed for currently available devices and may also be considered for one of our clinical trials with the next generation of assist devices.

Regardless of the device, you will receive the highest quality clinical care provided by experienced surgeons and cardiovascular experts.