Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Program
The Houston VA has a comprehensive disease management program for Veterans with heart failure, with the goal improving survival and quality of life.
Surgical Options
Surgical Options for advanced heart failure are Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support or Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).
- Heart Transplantation – your heart is replaced with a new one
- Mechanical Circulatory Support or Left Ventricular Assist Device - a pump is placed in your heart to add to what your heart can do, often replacing the function of your heart entirely. An LVAD can be put in to allow you to wait for a transplant; or it can be a durable, or destination device if a transplant is not an appropriate option for you.
Evaluation
The evaluation is essentially the same for Transplant and LVAD. The medical team may know early on that you may not be a candidate for one option or the other. But often we do not know which option might be the most appropriate until well into the evaluation process.
To ensure that you will be a good candidate for surgery many tests must be done. We must be certain that it is your heart that is making you sick enough to require either a transplant or LVAD. This is done by asking you many questions about your past medical and surgical history, performing a physical examination, and special tests. We will also ask you about having a support person or persons, as this is important to your health and success with either a transplant or an LVAD.
We understand that you may have many questions, and even uncertainty about what to do next. The Houston Heart Initiative has a team of specialists to work with you and to help you with this important decision.
Meet our Providers
Savitri Fedson, MD, MA
Medical Director, Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Program, Transplant Cardiologist
VA Houston health care
Steve Antoine, MD
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist
VA Houston health care
Alexis Shafii, MD
Surgical Director, Houston VA Heart Transplant and Left Ventricular Assist Device Program & Cardiothoracic Surgeon
VA Houston health care
Alex Schutz, MD
Staff Surgeon
VA Houston health care
Meet our Nurses
Rechel Delantar, MSN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, CCRN
Heart Nurse Practitioner
VA Houston health care
Elsa Abraham, RN, BSN, CCRN
Heart Transplant Nurse Coordinator
VA Houston health care
Roby Philip, RN, BSN, CVRN
Heart Transplant Nurse Coordinator
VA Houston health care
Erwin Bedia, RN, MSN, FNP-C
Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Nurse Practitioner
VA Houston health care
Verna Deinla, BSN, RN
Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Nurse Coordinator
VA Houston health care
Jocelyn Revilla, RN,MSN
Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Nurse Coordinator
VA Houston health care
Meet the Medical Staff
Kimberly Usher, PhD
Heart Transplant Psychologist
VA Houston health care
Dr. Kimberly Usher is the transplant psychologist. She works with the team to help address additional mental health needs and services that you may require. She is also able to help with counselling and therapy to cope with some of the stressors related to having heart failure and needing a heart transplant.
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Mauro Garcia-Altieri, MD
Heart Transplant Psychiatrist
VA Houston health care
Leanne Jackson, MD
Palliative Care Specialist
VA Houston health care
Aarti Gajjar, PT, DPT
LVAD/Transplant Physical Therapist
VA Houston health care
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Shelley Eitel, MS, RDN, CDCES, RYT
Heart Transplant/Heart Failure Dietician
VA Houston health care
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Sheila Joseph, LCSW-S
Licensed Clinical Social Work Supervisor
VA Houston health care
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William Kuan, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
VA Houston health care
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Monique Burnette
Heart Transplant Program Support Administrator
VA Houston health care
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Meet our CVICU Medical Staff
Mastian Chand, MD
Critical Care Physician
VA Houston health care
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Javier Finkielman, MD
Critical Care Physician
VA Houston health care
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Andre’lyn Williams, DMSc , MPAS, PA-C
Advanced Practice Provider
VA Houston health care
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Michael Sheehan, RNFA, MSN, NPc, LNC-Csp, C-TECC
Advanced Practice Provider
VA Houston health care
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