Miniaturized device gives hope to more heart failure patients

South Texas patients in severe heart failure who are too sick for transplantation have another lifesaving option these days — surgery to implant a compact, lightweight ventricular assist device called HeartMate II®. The procedure is available at UT Health San Antonio from Jay D. Pal, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon with extensive experience with mechanical circulatory support. UT Health San Antonio is the multispecialty practice of physicians in the UT Health Science Center’s School of Medicine. To schedule an appointment or to refer a patient to a UT Health San Antonio physician, call (210) 450-9000 or visit utmedicine.org.

HeartMate II® image reprinted with permission from Thoratec Corporation