Mechanical Circulatory Support: A Companion to Braunwald's Heart Disease

Operative Techniques and Intraoperative Management

Historical note The first left ventricular assist device (LVAD) was implanted in 1963 by Dr. DeBakey in a patient with postcardiotomy shock. As the incidence of heart failure rose to epidemic proportions, the LVAD emerged as a new solution to…

The Biological Response to Ventricular Unloading

Introduction Heart failure (HF) is one of the major medical burdens in our society. Complete recovery of the heart after insult has been an attractive goal for many clinicians and scientists for long time. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, such…

Hemocompatibility in Mechanical Circulatory Support

Introduction Understanding the hemocompatibility of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices requires insight into two scientific disciplines: biology and physics Biology related to MCS is only partially understood and at times seems unpredictable. Mother Nature is responsible for unleashing a variety…

Acute Circulatory Support

Introduction Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a state of insufficient cardiac output and end-organ perfusion that can be the terminal phase of many different cardiac conditions, including acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias, progression of chronic cardiomyopathy, and acute cardiac dysfunction in the…

Risk Stratification in Advanced Heart Failure

Introduction Risk factors or markers for mortality in heart failure (HF) include a long list of clinical parameters, including history, physical examination, laboratory values, hemodynamics, cardiac structure and function, and biomarkers ( Table 3.1 ). This chapter reviews predictors of…