QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU GET AN LVAD
If you're considering getting an LVAD, it's important to talk with your medical team about your specific situation.
It can also be helpful to speak with someone who is already an LVAD patient. These questions can help you with those conversations.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR
Your doctor can't predict everything that will happen to you if you get an LVAD. But he or she can tell you how things like your age and your overall health might affect your surgery, recovery, and daily life. Your healthcare team can also help you learn more about hospice and palliative care.
We encourage you to use a pen & paper to write down the answers from the questions below. This will be helpful when having these important conversations with your doctor.
We encourage you to use a pen & paper to write down the answers from the questions below. This will be helpful when having these important conversations with your doctor.
QUESTIONS ABOUT LVAD AND HEART TRANSPLANT
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Will I be eligible to receive a heart transplant, or will the LVAD be "destination therapy" for me? (In other words, will I have the LVAD the rest of my life?)
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If I am eligible for a transplant, how likely is it that I will receive a new heart?
QUESTIONS ABOUT SURGERY AND RECOVERY
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How might my age and other health conditions affect how I do during LVAD surgery?
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Am I at higher risk for any surgery complications because of my age and my other health conditions?
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How might my age and other health conditions affect my recovery after surgery? (For example, how long will I need to be in the hospital? Will I need to spend time in a rehab facility before going home)?
QUESTIONS ABOUT LIVING WITH AN LVAD
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Will my health improve if I get an LVAD? What will happen if I don't?
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How might my age and other health conditions affect my daily life with the LVAD? (For example: How will I feel, and how much independence can I regain?)
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What other changes do I need to make to be the healthiest I can be?(For example: How will losing weight affect my health?)
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How will this impact my caregiver?
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How will the LVAD affect my work life? Will I need to stop working?
QUESTIONS ABOUT LVAD COSTS
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Will my insurance cover the cost of LVAD surgery? What about the cost of the time I spend in the hospital or a rehab facility after the surgery?
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How do I find out if I am eligible for financial support or cost-sharing from the hospital?
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Are there out-of-pocket expenses that I should be prepared to pay?
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QUESTIONS ABOUT PALLIATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE CARE
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What is an advance care plan, and how do I make one?
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How does hospice work?
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What are the advantages of hospice?
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What are the advantages of simply taking my medications?
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The disadvantages?
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR AFTER LVAD SURGERY
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When should I call you? If the alarm goes off? If I can't breathe?
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When should I call 911?
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What can I do to improve my chances for a speedy recovery?
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How am I doing and what can I do better?
QUESTIONS TO ASK ANOTHER LVAD PATIENT
Your care team will help you set up a time to meet with someone who has been living with an LVAD. This is a great chance to talk about your decision with a person who understands what you're going through right now. Think about what you would want to ask someone who has already received an LVAD. Maybe you're wondering what this person's surgery was like, or what his or her life is like now. Here are some more questions you could ask:
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How long have you had an LVAD?
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How do you feel with the LVAD?
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What information did you need from your medical team to make your decision?
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What do you wish you had known about life with the LVAD before you got one?
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How did you adjust to the ways your life has changed after getting an LVAD?
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How has the LVAD affected your independence?
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What types of things do you have to rely on your caregiver for?
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What is easier than you expected about life with the LVAD?
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What is harder than you expected about life with the LVAD?
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How has your decision affected your family's life?
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How has the LVAD affected your relationship with your family caregivers?
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Would you make the same decision again?
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What do you think are the most important things for me to know as I decide whether to get the LVAD?
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
In addition to the suggested topics above, it's important that you take time to write down any additional questions or concerns that you have, so you can discuss them more in depth with your physician.