AHA Scientific Statement Recommendations for the Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support: Device Strategies and Patient Selection A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

The era of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) began in1953 with the development of cardiopulmonary bypass to facilitate open heart surgery.1 In 1964, the National Heart Institute (now the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) funded the Artificial Heart Program and became actively involved in MCS development. This led to requests for Proposals issued in 1977 and 1980, which laid the foundation for the development of implantable MCS for long-term use, including devices capable of hospital discharge, in the 1990s. Although heart transplantation is now commonplace at many hospitals, the inadequate supply of donor hearts and patient contraindications to transplantation continue to severely re-strict its application. As the demand for long-term replace-ment of diseased hearts increases, there is a clear need for innovative, safe, and durable MCS to treat the growing population of patients with advanced heart failure (HF)