Extracorporeal resuscitation as a further modifier of clinical outcome in patients with left ventricular assist device implantation and Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support level 1

Current perspectives on mechanical circulatory support

Mechanical circulatory support gained a significant value in the armamentarium of heart failure therapy because of the increased awareness of the prevalence of heart failure and the tremendous advances in the field of mechanical circulatory support during the last decades. Current device technologies already complement a heart transplant as the gold standard of treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure refractory to conservative medical therapy. This article reviews important aspects of mechanical circulatory support therapy and focuses on currently debated issues.