HeartWare™ Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD™) System: HVAD™ Controller Programming and Use of the Disable “VAD Stop” Alarm Button

A Dear Healthcare Professional Letter has been issued by Medtronic International Limited to inform healthcare professionals about the steps to be followed prior to performing a controller exchange so that restart of the HeartWareTM Ventricular Assist Device (HVADTM) pump is not inadvertently delayed. It is recommended to power down the programmed controller and disconnect the monitor data cable before performing a controller exchange. If these steps are not followed and a patient’s driveline is connected to a controller that was not powered down after programming, the pump will not restart and this could lead to serious harm. Healthcare professionals are advised to review the current HVADTM system Instructions For Use (IFU) and follow the detailed steps in the letter for programming the HVADTM controller prior to performing a controller exchange. Please refer to the letter for details.

Healthcare professional, Industry member, Medical devices
Published:

Dear Healthcare Professional Letters

15 Jan 2025

Only abstracts of the Dear Healthcare Professional Letters (DHCPL) are provided on this website. Details of the letters can be found on the MOH Alert System, which is accessible via the Health Professionals Portal (HPP). HPP is a one-stop portal for all healthcare professionals in Singapore. Dentists, medical doctors and pharmacists may access HPP at https://www.hpp.moh.gov.sg/, and follow the procedures below to access the MOH Alert system.

Step 1: Scroll down to the bottom navigation panel of the HPP web page. Under the Healthcare Professionals section, expand the dropdown option for ‘Healthcare Professional Portal’ and select your profession. You will be redirected to the specific HPP web page to log in.

Step 2: Click on the Restricted Content icon on the left panel of the web page and log in via SingPass.

Step 3: Click on the MOH Alert icon under the ‘Applications’ section.

Step 4: Click on the Drug Alert tab to view the DHCPLs.