Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Therapy

If your child’s heart is too weak to pump blood effectively, a ventricular assist device (VAD) can give it the support it needs to recover or wait for a heart transplant. At UI Health Care, you’ll find Iowa’s most experienced team in pediatric mechanical heart support, fully focused on helping your child regain strength, stability, and a better quality of life.

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A ventricular assist device, or VAD, is a mechanical pump that helps your child’s heart circulate blood through the body when its own pumping strength isn’t enough. For many families, it provides critical time for the heart to rest, for recovery to begin, or for a transplant match to be found.

At University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, you and your child will work with a dedicated team of heart-failure specialists, cardiac surgeons, and transplant experts who guide you through every step. We are here to help you determine if a VAD is right for your child, and we will support you at every step.

Our approach to VAD therapy

Your child’s care begins with a thorough evaluation to determine whether VAD therapy is the safest and most appropriate option. If it is, our surgical and pediatric advanced cardiac therapies (PACT) teams work closely together to plan the procedure, selecting the device best suited to your child’s size and condition.

After surgery, your child will stay in our Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU), where they’ll be closely monitored by nurses, intensivists, cardiologists, and rehabilitation specialists who know how to care for children with heart support devices. You’ll see our team every day as we guide recovery, adjust medications, and teach you how to care for your child and their VAD. You’ll know exactly how to manage the equipment and recognize when to call us.

Whether your child’s VAD is a bridge to a heart transplant or a temporary step toward recovery, we’ll make sure you have everything you need to feel confident and supported.

What to expect

Before your child’s VAD placement, we’ll meet with you to explain the procedure, answer your questions, and discuss what recovery will look like. Most children spend several weeks in the hospital after surgery. During that time, we’ll begin teaching you and your family about daily VAD care, battery changes, and safety checks.

Some children with VADs are able to go home. Once your child is ready to go home, you’ll have 24/7 access to our PACT team for questions or concerns. Follow-up visits will focus on how the heart is responding to the device and whether it’s time to move toward transplant or device removal. Our goal is to help your child return to a safe and comfortable routine at home.

Who can benefit from VAD therapy

Your child may benefit from VAD therapy if they have:

Advanced heart failure that isn’t improving with medication

A congenital or acquired heart condition that weakens the heart muscle

A need for temporary heart support while waiting for a transplant

A condition where the heart could recover with mechanical assistance

Every child’s situation is unique. Our team will help you understand whether a VAD is the right option and what outcomes you can expect.

Our ongoing support

Your child’s care doesn’t end when the VAD is implanted. Our program provides long-term follow-up with heart failure specialists, dietitians, physical therapists, and social workers to support recovery at home and beyond. We also participate in national clinical research to improve VAD technology and outcomes for children, so your family benefits from the most up-to-date care available.