looking for info

Hi Scott, I have the Thoratec Heartmate II for a year now and worked pretty well. They just recently updated to a pocket controller which is quite light and small. The batteries are somewhat large and heavy, and not many places to comfortably where them. I recently purchased an under armour football girdle. I slide the batteries in the thigh pad sleeve. Just waiting to see if my insurance will pay for the updated controller.

Mike

scott-f, I've had my LVAD since 8/1/12 and I just got the new pocket controller. You'll like the new controller as it's easy to combine it with the batteries in a fanny pack that you place in the side/front. Before I had to wear a smaller fanny pack for the controller and kept the batteries in shoulder holsters. I've used the undercover carry t-shirt too which allows you to nearly completely hide the equipment. Just find what works best for you. Some like the shoulder holsters, others hate them. If your drive line is on the long side, you can get by with a i-pad size bag that slings over your shoulder (or even a back pack). My drive line is too short for that. Look on this site for info - there's a lot of good advice re: travel, etc. Good luck. After a month or so of the hassle, you'll find the equipment as second nature. Sometimes I'm out of bed and going on batteries and don't even remember making the change from the cable power. Good luck!

This is one of the best sites to find information. heartware.com is one of the major competitors with the heartmateII. go check out the chat rooms. visit 'LVAD CONVERSATIONS.' there you will find a bunch of informative VAD wearers, plus a large library of links, good luck!!

@ Scott Fowler, I am curious to how the procedure went. If you had congestive heart failure and were suffering, i hope by now that you can see the improvement. It takes a good month for all of the major healing to do its job, then things just keep better and better. If you still are looking for gear to wear, as i mentioned earlier in 'LVAD CONVERSATIONS' (face book) just go to the files area and click on Gear. There you will have pictures and descriptions of most of the major providers for LVAD wear. There are the vests for the batteries and the 2 major companies that make the compression shirts. With the new controller a fanny pack would be advisable. keep in touch and remember, it's a good day to be alive.

my husband has had his heartmate2 for almost 2 years now . he has not been given a choice to switch to the smaller controller in Boston. Only the new recepeints are receiving the new one, How did you receive yours ? Did you pay for it up front ? Or were you having probloms with the original one ? The hospital in Boston said that is the only way we would receive it. It's a bummer ---- as the new one is so much smaller and lighter.

@ acura. Whether or not you can change to the new controller depends on your insurance coverage/company. I was told that most companies will not pay for the new controller until the old one is one-year old. My insurance, however, paid for the new one after only 9 mos. In San Diego, Sharp hospital has someone who deals with the insurance companies for the LVAD patients. They're getting a lot of approvals to change to the new controllers. RAH