Harold Chronister Receives a Heart Pump and a New Lease on LIfe

As Seen on THV11

The first person in Arkansas to receive the world’s smallest heart pump was 77-year-old Harold Chronister. Harold credits his family for the decision to undergo surgery to implant the Medtronic HeartWare HVAD, which is intended to make his heart healthier and extend his life. 

Dr. Thurston Bauer of CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute made Arkansas history earlier this month when he implanted the HeartWare HVAD, a left ventricular assist device, in Chronister’s heart. The HVAD is the world’s smallest, commercially available, left ventricular assist device. Left ventricular assist devices, or LVADs, are used to help the heart pump and increase the amount of blood that circulates through the body.. 
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