Mark Drazner, M.D.: Internal Medicine | Cardiomyopathies …

Dallas Heart Failure Specialist

A diagnosis of heart failure might seem ominous, but it is treatable, thanks to the expertise and skills of physicians like Mark Drazner, M.D. A nationally recognized expert in the care of patients with advanced heart disease, Dr. Drazner specializes in treating patients with cardiomyopathy and those needing a heart transplant or implantation of a ventricular assist device.

"If youre being treated for heart failure and youre not improving, consider seeing a cardiologist who specializes in patients with advanced heart failure," Dr. Drazner says.

Cardiac transplantation is the gold-standard therapy for advanced heart disease, but its use is constrained by the availability of donor organs, Dr. Drazner says. Chronic drug infusions are sometimes helpful for symptoms, but they dont prolong life. Fortunately, advances in the development of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), which are essentially mechanical heart pumps implanted in the body, have opened a new era in treating patients with a failing heart.

LVADs can serve as a bridge to transplant, keeping patients alive until a donor heart becomes available, or they can prolong survival and improve quality of life for patients who are not transplant candidates.

Its an area of medical therapy that Dr. Drazner knows well: Hes the Medical Director of the LVAD and Cardiac Transplant Program at UT Southwestern.

Our program is among the best in the country, he says, and its a terrific resource for the community.

Visit link:

Mark Drazner, M.D.: Internal Medicine | Cardiomyopathies ...