Life With Your LVAD Made Easy

MyLVAD is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with LVADs. In the upcoming months we will introduce you to some products that may make living with an LVAD a little easier. One the most popular topics of discussion in the LVAD community is different ways to carry/wear your LVAD equipment. This month we are featuring The Bosco Vest.

The Bosco Vest:

The Bosco LVAD Vest is the creation of Cindy Bosco. Cindy's husband was implanted with a HeartMate LVAD and lived with it for over six months. In that time, Cindy was able to design this vest to help keep all of her husband's external equipment secure during almost any activity. That is what makes this vest unique, it was designed specifically for an LVAD recipient by their caregiver.

Cindy now makes vests for both the HeartMateII and HeartWare LVADs. Cindy's company has grown and supplies vests to recipients all over the United States.

Look of the Vest:

The Bosco LVAD vest has a nice clean look. It comes with a choice of many different colors and fabrics all which allow for the wearer to achieve different looks from casual to formal.

Ease of Use: ****

Using the vest first time can be tricky. It does come with a very good set of directions and ribbons that guide you in threading the LVAD wires so that they are secured correctly inside the vest.

Security of Equipment: *****

There are ample levels of security for the external LVAD equipment. All of the pockets have velcro closures for easy but secure access of all batteries and controller. There are multiple areas of velcro attachments to secure wires inside of the vest as well as channels to thread the LVAD wires between battery and controller.

Controller Accessibility: *****

Controllers are easily accessible within the designated pocket in the Bosco LVAD Vest. We do warn you that we dropped a couple of controllers while getting to them in both vests, so be careful when you open the controller pockets and have a hand ready to support the controller so it doesn't fall.

Battery Accessibility: *****

Batteries were easy to get to and remove from the vest. The pockets for the HeartWare batteries were a little big but the entire pocket was covered and the batteries were secure. You could probably carry an extra set of batteries in the pockets, if you so desire.

Hiding Cables: ****

Regardless of which LVAD you have, the vest does not completely conceal the LVAD cables. However, the HeartWare cables were better concealed in the Bosco Vest than the HeartMateII cables.

Fit: *****

The Bosco LVAD vest is custom made based on your measurements. This is a big advantage over the one size fits all items that are currently available.

Overall MyLVAD Review: *****

The Bosco LVAD Vest has helped many LVAD recipients carry their equipment comfortably, safely and discreetly. It is well made and comes in a variety of colors and fabrics. Kudos to Cindy for her innovative contribution to the LVAD community! You can find information about the Bosco LVAD Vest at their website: www.boscolvadvest.com.

If you have any items that have made your life easier, please share with the MyLVAD community by emailing us at mylvad@gmail.com