Emory Healthcare has been recognized as one of the top five providers in the United States for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, maintaining this status for the fifth consecutive year. In 2025, Emory Healthcare performed LVAD implantations on 108 patients, marking a record high for the institution.
“We achieved a historic milestone, recording the highest volume of LVAD implants ever performed in the history of the Emory University program. This accomplishment reflects our unwavering commitment to advancing patient care, offering renewed hope and life-saving opportunities to those we serve,” said Mahmoud Abdou, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Emory Healthcare’s LVAD program.
A left ventricular assist device is a mechanical pump powered by batteries that supports heart function by helping circulate blood throughout the body. The device is used for patients with end-stage heart failure or those awaiting a heart transplant.
Emory’s LVAD program has received the ‘Gold Seal of Approval’ from the Joint Commission and is one of only two certified programs in Georgia. The health system also leads nationally in enrolling patients in the INNOVATE trial, which studies BrioVAD—a smaller, fully magnetically levitated ventricular assist device—for individuals with advanced heart failure. So far, Emory has enrolled 19 patients in this clinical trial.
“We are moving the needle in terms of people and giving them hope for another chance at life with cutting edge research,” Abdou added.
