Current practice in patient selecting for long-term mechanical circulatory support.

With the advances of mechanical circulatory support, the selection of patients has undergone many changes over the last decade. Determining who is suitable for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is important to understanding the overall risk and outcomes. As devices improve, it is expected that changes will continue in this field. This review describes current state of patient selection, evaluation, and optimization prior to implantation of a long-term circulatory support device.