• •The shower bag provided by your centre is essential: the controller and batteries cannot withstand water otherwise.
• •Keep the equipment away from the spray, even when protected — splashes get where you least expect them.
• •Many patients change the dressing right after showering: the site is clean and dry, so it is the best time.
• •Have everything you need ready in advance, within reach, before you start.

• •On your back, or on the side opposite the cable exit. Avoid sleeping on your stomach: it puts pressure on the driveline.
• •Extra pillows support the body and stop the cable from pulling during the night.
• •A dedicated night belt holds the controller and batteries: no more waking up to readjust them.
• •The fear of pulling out the cable while asleep is very common at first, and it fades. Talk to your team if it keeps you awake.

• •Shoulder bag, belt, vest, harness: try several options, as none suits everyone.
• •A shoulder bag spreads the weight better; a belt is more discreet but can feel tight.
• •Loose clothing, button-up or zip-up shirts: access to the equipment becomes much easier. Our partner OTRA VISION offers clothing designed for exactly that.
• •The equipment can be worn very discreetly. Some women run the cable into a handbag, and no one can tell.

• •A driveline stabiliser prevents pulling — the leading preventable cause of infection.
• •Check the exit site every day for redness, swelling, discharge or new pain.
• •Fever or a change in the appearance of the site: call your care team, without waiting for your next appointment.
• •A dressing using a sterile technique, at the frequency set by your centre — this is what protects you most.

• •The spare battery set and the backup controller never stay at home.
• •Keep your list of emergency contacts, including your implanting centre, on you at all times.
• •Take what you need to change a dressing: the unexpected happens.
• •Your medication, in a pill organiser.

• •An alarm is not necessarily an emergency. Look at the screen first: the message tells you what to do.
• •First reflex: check that the cable is properly connected and that two power sources are plugged in.
• •Yellow = needs attention. Red = act immediately. Never ignore a red signal.
• •The first alarm frightens everyone. Once you understand the system, the panic goes away.

• •The vitamin K in green vegetables interacts with warfarin: there is no need to cut them out, but eat them regularly, without big variations.
• •Report any new medicine, including antibiotics: your INR may change.
• •Blood pressure needs monitoring: if it is too high, it hinders the pump.
• •Pulse and blood pressure are difficult to measure in the usual way — this is expected, and something to tell every healthcare professional.

• •Anxiety and low mood after implantation are common. They are not a failure, and they can be treated.
• •Patients regularly mention patient and carer groups as the most helpful support — this is UFPAC's reason for being.
• •Lean on your loved ones. They need support too.
• •Professional psychological support has its place in your care.

• •Air travel is not forbidden for LVAD patients, but it must be planned with your team: they are the ones who give the go-ahead.
• •Charged spare batteries travel in the cabin, accessible at all times, and are checked before boarding.
• •Keep the documents provided by your centre (medical letter, department contact details) on you, translated into the local language if possible.
• •Before you leave, get in touch with an LVAD reference centre at your destination.
• •Bring a complete medical file: letters, a recent ECG, prescriptions using international non-proprietary names (INN), and extra medication within reach during the flight.
• •Drink enough and avoid coffee during the journey.
• •Before booking, check that you have travel insurance with medical assistance and repatriation.
• •Declare your equipment at security: ask for a manual pat-down rather than the scanner.

Source: Voyages en avion — Contre-indications cardiovasculaires (in French), cardiology team at CHU de La Réunion (École Numérique de Cardiologie), updated 18 March 2025.

• •Severe heart failure is on the list of long-term conditions (ALD, affections de longue durée) recognised by the French national health insurance, the Assurance Maladie. Your GP draws up the care protocol.
• •ALD status removes the patient's share of costs (ticket modérateur): care and treatment related to your condition are reimbursed at 100% of the Social Security base rate.
• •Please note: fees above the standard rate (dépassements d'honoraires) and the daily hospital charge (forfait hospitalier) are not covered by ALD status. Supplementary health insurance remains useful.
• •ALD status also covers transport for care related to the condition, on medical prescription and subject to certain conditions.
• •The protocol is valid for a limited period and must be renewed: check the expiry date in your ameli account.

Source: Affection de longue durée and prise en charge en ALD exonérante, Assurance Maladie (ameli.fr).

• •During sick leave, daily allowances are paid by the Assurance Maladie, subject to contribution conditions.
• •When your capacity to work or earn is reduced by at least two thirds, you can apply for an invalidity pension (pension d'invalidité). It is separate from disability recognition by the MDPH: they are two independent schemes.
• •There are three categories of invalidity, depending on whether you can still work, can no longer work, or need help from another person for everyday activities.
• •The pension can be reviewed: it may be changed, suspended or withdrawn if your condition changes.
• •You apply to your health insurance fund; the social worker at your implanting university hospital can help you put the application together.

Source: L'invalidité, Assurance Maladie (ameli.fr).

• •The departmental disability office (MDPH, Maison départementale des personnes handicapées) handles disability-related applications. A single form covers all benefits.
• •The RQTH (official recognition as a disabled worker) gives access to workplace adjustments and employment support.
• •The AAH (allowance for disabled adults) requires a disability rate of at least 80%, or between 50 and 79% with a substantial and lasting restriction on access to employment.
• •The PCH (disability compensation benefit) funds costs related to loss of independence, in particular help from another person.
• •You can apply online at mdphenligne.cnsa.fr, or on paper to the MDPH in your département. Processing takes several months.

Sources: Mon Parcours Handicap (RQTH) and MDPH en ligne, CNSA.

• •Since 2017, the CMI (carte mobilité inclusion) has replaced the former invalidity, priority and parking cards.
• •The “invalidité” endorsement is granted for a disability rate of at least 80%, or a category 3 invalidity pension.
• •If you receive funding to employ a personal assistant, the card carries the additional endorsement “besoin d'accompagnement” (companion needed), which gives your companion reduced or free fares, particularly on trains.
• •The “priorité” (priority) and “stationnement” (parking) endorsements may be added or obtained separately, depending on your situation.
• •Please note: old permanent invalidity cards and European parking cards will no longer be valid after the end of 2026. If you have one, apply for your CMI without delay.
• •Apply to the MDPH with a medical certificate less than twelve months old — or proof of a category 3 invalidity pension for the invalidité endorsement.

Sources: Mon Parcours Handicap and handicap.gouv.fr.

• •Cardiovascular conditions are among those for which the law requires you to have your medical fitness to drive checked.
• •The list is set by the decree of 28 March 2022, which repealed all previous texts. It distinguishes the light group (A and B licences) from the heavy group (C and D licences), which has stricter criteria.
• •What is assessed is not the condition itself, but the risk of suddenly feeling unwell at the wheel.
• •The assessment is carried out by an approved doctor; the list of approved doctors is available from your regional health agency (ARS). Your licence may then be kept, with a limited period of validity, or refused.
• •Driving without this assessment engages your civil liability and may invalidate your insurance policy in the event of an accident.

Sources: Arrêté du 28 mars 2022 (Légifrance) and Sécurité routière — Santé et conduite.

• •The social worker at your implanting university hospital knows your medical file and the schemes available: this is the first person to ask.
• •The Assurance Maladie can be reached on 36 46 and offers appointments with an adviser to review your rights.
• •France services centres, found in most départements, help you fill in applications free of charge.
• •Your town hall or local social action centre (CCAS) can direct you to local support.
• •And UFPAC: other patients and carers have been through these procedures before you. Write to us.

This information is general. Conditions, amounts and procedures change: always check on ameli.fr, service-public.fr or with your health insurance fund.