Massage Therapy for Self-efficacy in LVAD Recipients

Patients with advanced heart failure who undergo left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation may experience notable physical and/or emotional distress associated with this lifestyle-changing procedure. Furthermore, these patients are faced with the task of coping with the trauma of surgery, creating new self-care routines, and learning to live with a lifesaving mechanical device that must always be connected to a power source.The immediate weeks and months after LVAD implantation are a critical period to lower physical and emotional distress and to influence patient coping and adaptation. In small studies, massage therapy has been increasingly used to improve patient self-efficacy and coping. In this pilot study, we investigate whether regularly scheduled massages delivered in the clinic setting improve self-efficacy and coping in this select patient population.