Insights for patients requiring mechanical circulatory support

There are currently more than 6.2 million adults diagnosed with heart failure in the United States (American Heart Association [AHA], 2022). Heart failure is a progressive condition associated with high mortality in which the heart gradually loses its ability to circulate blood and nutrients throughout the body (AHA, 2022). The resulting symptoms, such as shortness of breath, edema, and decreased activity tolerance, severely impact quality of life and can lead to recurrent hospitalizations (Norberg et al., 2014). As the disease progresses towards end-stage heart failure, the heart becomes refractory to medical management requiring consideration of advanced heart therapies including heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) (Dolapoglu et al., 2018).