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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

VA doctor

Savitri Fedson, MD, MA

Medical Director, Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Program, Transplant Cardiologist

VA Houston health care

VA doctor

Steve Antoine, MD

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist

VA Houston health care

VA doctor

Alexis Shafii, MD

Surgical Director, Houston VA Heart Transplant and Left Ventricular Assist Device Program & Cardiothoracic Surgeon

VA Houston health care

VA Surgeon

Alex Schutz, MD

Staff Surgeon

VA Houston health care

Meet our Nurses

VA nurse

Rechel Delantar, MSN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, CCRN

Heart Nurse Practitioner

VA Houston health care

VA nurse

Elsa Abraham, RN, BSN, CCRN

Heart Transplant Nurse Coordinator

VA Houston health care

VA nurse

Roby Philip, RN, BSN, CVRN

Heart Transplant Nurse Coordinator

VA Houston health care

VA employee

Erwin Bedia, RN, MSN, FNP-C

Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Nurse Practitioner

VA Houston health care

VA employee

Verna Deinla, BSN, RN

Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Nurse Coordinator

VA Houston health care

VA employee

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

VA doctor

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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VA staff

Shelley Eitel, MS, RDN, CDCES, RYT

Heart Transplant/Heart Failure Dietician

VA Houston health care

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VA Social Worker

Sheila Joseph, LCSW-S

Licensed Clinical Social Work Supervisor

VA Houston health care

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VA doctor

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

VA doctor

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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VA doctor

Michael Sheehan, RNFA, MSN, NPc, LNC-Csp, C-TECC

Advanced Practice Provider

VA Houston health care

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