Although near-term challenges have slowed growth in the market for left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), companies are developing new, less invasive VADs with improved pump designs to further improve patient outcomes and allow for a wider application of the therapy in treating heart failure. These next-generation VADs are fueling long-term optimism in the market for mechanical circulatory support, which remains one of the more attractive opportunities in the cardiovascular space.

The big five European Union markets – Germany, France, the UK, Spain, and Italy – are expected to see strong growth in some of the more common cardiovascular device implant procedures over the next four years, with ventricular assist device (VAD) implantations topping the list. All five major EU markets are forecast to experience healthy mid-teen compound annual growth rates in VAD implantation volume, according to recently published European procedure volume reports from Medtech Insight.

The CEOs of Thoratec and HeartWare addressed the recent highly publicized report on the risk of LVAD thrombosis at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.