The role of the ventricular assist device coordinator: quo vadis?

摘要

The history of ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy is well documented, dating back to the first implanted device in 1966 by Dr Michael DeBakey (1). The history of the VAD coordinator, however, lacks documentation secondary to an inconsistent role definition in the literature. The first documentation of nurses measuring artificial heart data by waveforms was in 1988 (2). In the 1990s as devices became commercially available, the role of the VAD coordinator came to fruition to connect the mechanics of the devices and the medical care aspect of the patient (3). Oftentimes it is said “There is no VAD patient without a VAD coordinator”, paving the way to the role itself.