Former Specialty Hospital patient credits Left Ventricular Assist Device surgery

What do former Vice President Dick Cheney, Izzie's boyfriend, Denny, on "Grey's Anatomy" and Anthony Freeman from East Baltimore all have in common? Each is associated with a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).

An LVAD is a mechanical heart, which is surgically attached to a patient's own weak heart. It can help the natural heart pump blood at a normal rate or take over the pumping completely. It often bridges the gap while someone is waiting for a transplant but can also be used as a permanent alternative for someone who is unable to receive a new heart.

Because LVADs are now portable, they allow people using them a lot of mobility. "My LVAD is a second lease on life," says Freeman, a former patient at the Specialty Hospital at Levindale in Baltimore, Maryland. "I really appreciate being able to do the little things as well as the big things. Just to get out of bed, eat breakfast at a table and even fish is miraculous."

The 52-year old man got his LVAD in May because his heart was pumping too slowly, which meant that his organs were not getting enough oxygen and could not function properly. Like other people with congestive heart failure (CHF), his symptoms included trouble breathing, an irregular heartbeat, getting tired easily and swelling in the legs and abdomen.

The Specialty Hospital at Levindale, the first post-acute care center in Maryland with a program specifically designed to care for LVAD patients right after surgery, became his temporary home. "People with LVADs are usually in a recovery program for two to four weeks," says Amy Roseman, PT, CBIS, the coordinator for the LVAD program at Levindale. "After Mr. Freeman received 24/7 monitoring in our High Intensity Unit and was shown how to take care of himself, he was able to go home to wait for a new heart."

The LVAD is connected to the heart with a wire that is battery powered. Each battery can last as long as 14 hours before it has to be recharged by a computer the size of a laptop. Every patient always carries two batteries with him or her, no matter where they are, in case there's a problem with one of them. The batteries easily fit into a cargo pants pocket, a purse or anything of a similar size." Together, the device and batteries weigh about 15 pounds.

Criteria to qualify to receive an LVAD are set nationally. A person must not be able to move without experiencing symptoms of CHF and then must undergo extensive physical and emotional evaluations. Risk factors include some of the same indicators that are connected with surgery.

Anthony Freeman credits his LVAD surgery and the care he got at Levindale for making him feel like a new man. "Words cannot express how I feel for this new opportunity."