There are approximately fewer than 3000 donor organs available worldwide per year. In the United States alone, in 1999, 2184 patients with heart failure underwent heart transplantation. When a left ventricular assist device is implanted a donor heart must be available within approxi¬mately 3 months for the patient to maintain survival and quality of life.
Published data by treating teams indicate that patients who have received a device implant must be given priority for the next available donor heart. Thus virtually all individuals who can afford the expense (approximately $150,000. for the device plus approximately $50,000 for hospitalization) incurred in acquiring an assist device will receive the highest priority for obtaining the next available donor heart. The treating team recognizes that if the patient with the assist device does not undergo transplantation within a few months of device implanta¬tion, complications and death are to be expected within a year. Therefore, the availability of a donor heart is necessary for the success of the assist device, but as stressed above, there are limited donor hearts available.
In a study at the Montreal Heart Institute 16 patients received an assist device as a bridge to transplant. Thirteen of the patients underwent heart transplantation. Three died while waiting for a transplant. During this same period, 20 patients had a heart transplant without the use of an assist device. The time spent waiting for a transplant, however, was longer for those without an assist device: 87 days compared to only 17 days for patients who received an assist device.

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