Mechanical assistance in cardiogenic shock

Cardiogenic shock following myocardial infarction or surgical interventions with extracorporeal circulation, not responding to conventional treatment, is an "intractable" condition, unless mechanical assistance is applied. In today's practice mechanical assistance consists in counterpulsating an intraaortic balloon or, if this does not improve the condition, in using a left ventricle bypassing pump. In spite of the complexity of the procedures and the complications, a number of patients can recover with or without a subsequent corrective intervention or heart transplantation. The need for developing systems for chronic assistance to non-correctable hearts and the difficulties of the endeavour are pointed out.