What began as a Navy medic’s desire to heal became a lifelong mission to bring life-sustaining technology to patients in heart failure. As a driving force behind the HeartMate LVAD series, CentriMag, and PediMag systems, his leadership helped shape modern circulatory support and bring hope to countless patients worldwide.
Translating Vision into Reality: An Interview with Kurt Dasse, PhD Read More »
Driven by the loss of his grandfather, Dr. Rich Wampler revolutionized how the world treats heart failure. From the creation of the first implantable rotary blood pump to the development of the HeartMate II and HeartWare HVAD, his groundbreaking work has saved hundreds of thousands of lives—and continues to shape the future of circulatory support.
The Heart of Innovation: Dr. Rich Wampler’s Journey from Loss to Life-Saving Discovery Read More »
Happy Fall to All! We have many exciting updates to share, such as new pediatric Impella education materials for Providers and Patients/Families, a debrief of our incredibly successful first VAD Bootcamp, and many new publications and other tools. As we move into the holiday season, we reflect on our continued appreciation and thankfulness for the engagement and collaboration from all stakeholders that continue to excel our research, quality improvement, education, and advocacy efforts.
The Pulse — Nov 2025 Read More »
The iDECIDE-VAD-PEDIATRIC decision aid was developed to help families and clinicians navigate the unique challenges of pediatric ventricular assist device implantation by promoting consistent, values-based, and equitable decision-making.
Right ventricular failure (RVF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. This review offers pediatric-focused guidance on perioperative RV management, emphasizing pathophysiology, hemodynamics, and targeted interventions to optimize outcomes.
This multicenter study of 367 children from the ACTION network found that 78% had a positive outcome with paracorporeal continuous flow (pCF) mechanical support. Children with congenital heart disease had lower success rates and higher mortality than those without CHD.
In this multicenter retrospective study of 150 pediatric patients supported with the Impella device, 89.3% achieved positive clinical outcomes despite a 28% adverse event rate. Findings suggest a potential role for Impella in managing refractory advanced heart failure in children, particularly those with cardiomyopathy, transplant graft dysfunction, or congenital heart disease.
ACTION now has nearly 40 Harmonized Protocols!
Harmonized Protocols – Updated! Read More »
Through the collection and use of real-world data, the field has gained greater understanding of best practices in care of these patients, as well as improved access to devices with pediatric labeling of devices previously approved only for adults. Recent and current work across the network’s major focus areas (VAD, heart failure, muscular dystrophy, and Fontan) are highlighted.
The use of VADs in pediatric restrictive and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is rare, but this ACTION multi-center registry analysis highlights that support is feasible, particularly in children with RCM. While the majority of patients were successfully bridged to transplant, outcomes were poorer in HCM patients, especially those requiring BiVAD support.
