Ventricular-Assist Pumping

Abstract

The development of ventricular-assist pumping (to temporarily sustain open-heart surgery patients being weaned from heart-lung machines) has generated speculation that this technology, while costly, could potentially improve the quality of life for thousands of patients. In formulating public policy on the allocation of resources for biomedical research, we must consider how to strike a balance between the ultimate goal of disease prevention, the development of cost-effective therapies, and the basic biological research which is fundamental to both these goals. (KIE abstract)