[Mechanical circulatory support and replacement in heart failure].

MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT AND REPLACEMENT IN HEART FAILURE. Technological developments have led to a panel of mechanical devices making possible circulatory support and cardiac replacement in patients with heart failure. Some devices (namely extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ECMO) allow short-term support in patients with acute heart failure and improve the prognosis.

Development of ventricular assist devices in China: present status, opportunities and challenges.

The growing number of heart failure patients and the scarcity of organ donors account for the huge need for the development of mechanical circulatory systems, including ventricular assist devices (VADs) and artificial hearts, in China. Several research programmes on blood pumps have been under way for the last three decades. However, unlike in other countries, the development of VADs has been extremely slow, and no system is currently approved and available for clinical application.

Bridge to transplantation using paracorporeal biventricular assist devices or the syncardia temporary total artificial heart: is there a difference?

Aim: Biventricular support can be achieved using paracorporeal ventricular assist devices (p-BiVAD) or the Syncardia temporary total artificial heart (t-TAH). The purpose of the present study was to compare survival and morbidity between these devices.

Methods: Data from 2 French neighboring hospitals were reviewed.