The Committee noted that heart failure is very common. It considered that the use of left ventricular assist devices for destination therapy in people ineligible for heart transplantation needs very careful selection of patients who are likely to derive sustained benefit in terms of survival and quality of life.
The Committee recognised that this procedure is associated with a high incidence of complications, but it judged that the potential benefit for appropriately selected patients outweighed its potential for harm.
The Committee noted that technology for this procedure has evolved significantly in recent years and continues to do so.