HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center hosted a celebration for several patients with something in common: They’re all living with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). An LVAD takes the place of a person’s left ventricle and helps the heart pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

Those present at the LVAD Celebration on April 1 at the medical center included patients who have received the device as a “bridge to transplant” as they await a human heart and those for whom it is a “destination therapy.” Dozens of people, including 10 patients, attended the event at the University Fitness and Conference Center.

Currently, the medical center has 78 active LVAD patients.