Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the life experience of the patient who lives with Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), waiting for heart transplantation. Participants for the study included six male patients who were living with VAD, and were interviewed on their experiences from living with VAD as a bridge to heart transplantation. The obtained data was analyzed in phenomenological approach. One of the participants was using external type VAD, and the other five were using the implanting type VAD. Average number of days for VAD use was over 1000 days on those participants. The participants had been weighing the positive and negative sides of living with VAD, and were anguished deciding either "VAD" or "heart transplant" should be chosen. Several participants were not necessarily willing to receive a heart transplant immediately. Furthermore, all the participants had been looking at their own "strength" ; strong points and positive side of living with VAD, and their "strength" was vitality for their lives. Their focus on Qualities of Life (QOL) had been changing as their living situation changed, and it was giving the participants new conflicts and subjects for their lives; Their focus on QOL for pre-VAD-operative phase was to "live long", post-VAD-operative phase was to "improve the quality of daily life", and future consideration phase was to "improve the quality of life". This study indicates that understanding in the changing focus of QOL of patients with VAD plays an important role in effectively interacting with patients.
