Congestive Heart Failure

Heart Failure, Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support

The University of Chicago Medicine is home to one of the most respected congestive heart failure programs in the country. With experts in heart failure medical treatment, mechanical circulatory support and cardiac surgery, including heart transplant, we are committed to delivering the highest level of care to patients, especially those with advanced or complex disease requiring state-of-the-art therapies. 

What is Congestive Heart Failure?

When your heart is healthy, it continuously pumps blood throughout the body via the circulatory system. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle becomes damaged and is unable to deliver enough nutrient-rich blood to meet the body’s needs for oxygen. In some cases, the kidneys respond to heart failure by retaining water and, as a result, fluid builds up in the arms, legs, lungs and other organs. This condition is referred to as congestive heart failure. There are several stages of heart failure, ranging from mild, moderate and severe.

While there is no cure for heart failure, medications, lifestyle changes and surgical options can alleviate symptoms and help patients lead an active life. Understanding early signs of heart failure can help manage the condition sooner.

For patients with more complex heart failure (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction), we have a comprehensive HFpEF clinic that delivers personalized therapies.

The Truth About Heart Failure

Heart Failure Symptoms and Signs

With more than 5 million people suffering from heart failure in the United States, it is so important to understand the causes, signs and symptoms of this condition in order to seek medical attention as soon as possible. The best defense against heart failure is to live a healthy lifestyle. But it is also critical to know when you are experiencing symptoms and to reach out to your doctor as quickly as possible. Patients with heart failure may experience: 

• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Heart palpitations
• Lack of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain
• Persistent coughing
• Shortness of breath, during exercise or rest
• Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen
• Weight gain

These symptoms may be a sign of heart failure or of another medical condition. If you experience one or more of the above symptoms, see your physician for an evaluation.

What causes congestive heart failure?

In most cases, a heart transplant is caused by an underlying, progressive illness. If you have a underlying condition that is not being managed, it can make weaken your heart and exacerbate your condition. Some of the conditions that require a heart transplant include:

• Arrhythmias
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Cardiomyopathy
• Congenital heart disease
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Heart valve disease
• Hypertension
• Lung disease

Heart Failure Treatments

Heart Failure Research and Clinical Trials

Physicians at the University of Chicago Medicine are investigating the latest medications, devices and diagnostic methods for the treatment of heart failure. As a result, our heart failure patients often gain access to new treatments available through clinical trials — therapies not widely available at other hospitals. Currently, we are involved in dozens of research projects, including multicenter clinical studies, as well as additional clinical studies and lab studies that are unique to UChicago Medicine.

Examples of investigational clinical research under way include the following:

• Reliant Heart HeartAssist5: A next-generation LVAD that weighs 3.5 ounces and has remote monitoring
• The HeartWare HVAD: A left ventricular assist device, a next-generation LVAD that is the size of a D-cell battery
• Serelaxin: A synthetic hormone for the treatment of acute heart failure
• Tolvaptan: A vasopressin antagonist for the treatment of acute heart failure
• BrioVAD: A novel, smaller LVAD with a longer battery life for advanced heart failure patients that is being offered at only 5 sites nationwide currently

Physician-scientists from UChicago Medicine have taken a special interest in cardiomyopathy research, skeletal muscle regeneration and other methods to help reverse heart failure on a molecular basis. Other research efforts focus on new ways to improve heart function, preserve organs for transplant and prevent transplant rejection.