Georgia Heart Institute offers a different way to celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday

A unique way to celebrate Valentine's Day is available to some special patients and their families of Georgia's Heart Institute.

 

Northeast Georgia Health System and Georgia Heart Institute celebrate LVAD (Left Ventricle Assistance Device) patients and the health care professionals who help them manage their condition and enjoy a full life. LVAD is a surgically implanted, battery-operated pump that supports the heart’s pumping function and helps circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

 

LVAD patients, their friends and families, and members of the healthcare community are invited to attend a special event on Friday, February 14th.  The "Happy VADentine's Day" luncheon will be held at the Georgia Heart Institute's Walters Auditorium, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The event includes an LVAD panel discussion, as well as a patient fashion show and a post luncheon meet-and-greet with some of Georgia Heart Institute's LVAD patients.

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands. There is no cure for heart failure, but the symptoms can be managed and a patient’s symptoms can even improve through the right monitoring and care plan.

For patients in the later stages of heart failure, medication, lifestyle changes and less intensive therapies may fail to improve their condition. For those patients, an LVAD implant can provide dramatic improvement to their quality of life, in some cases enabling patients to return to living independently, travel, exercise and even return to work.

NGMC Gainesville is one of the few hospitals in Georgia that offer this service. You can read more about it here:  https://www.nghs.com/heart/lvad  You can also register for the "Happy VADentine's Day" luncheon by scanning the code included in the report's photo.