MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT - CANDIDATE SELECTION, BENEFITS, AND POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS

Advanced heart failure remains a deadly disease despite recent medical and surgical advances in its therapy. Heart transplantation is still consider-ed the best long-term therapeutic option for patients with en d-stage heart failure, but its use is severely limited by donor availa bility. While various treatment modalities as alternatives to cardiac transplantation continue to be investigated, mechanical circulatory su pport has proven to be succesful when used as a bridge to transplantat ion. Its success in this mission will likely make it a front-runner am ong future permanent therapeutic options for terminal heart failure. C andidate selection, benefits, and potential complications of mechanica l circulatory support are reviewed in this article.