Submit
Search
Submit
Menu

Special Issue

Advances and Challenges in Mechanical Circulatory Support: From Short-Term Devices to Long-Term Solutions

Submission Deadline: 30 Sep 2026

Guest Editors

  • Portrait of Guest Editor Anton Sabashnikov

    Anton Sabashnikov MD, PhD

    Department of Heart & Lung Transplantation, Mechanical Circulatory Support & Cardiac Surgery, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Interests: cardiothoracic surgery transplantation; aortic valve replacement; coronary artery bypass grafting; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and mechanical circulation support; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; cardiogenic shock; extracorporeal life support; percutaneous aortic valve replacement; cardiac valve prosthesis; pacemaker (medical device); infective endocarditis; anti-infective drugs; heart failure; ventricular assist device; aortic dissection; aortic splice Layered aneurysms; thoracic aortic aneurysms

  • Portrait of Guest Editor Ihor Krasivskyi

    Ihor Krasivskyi MD

    Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Interests: extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and mechanical circulation support; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; cardiogenic shock; extracorporeal life support; percutaneous aortic valve replacement; cardiac valve prosthesis; coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) has become a cornerstone in the management of patients with advanced heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Over the past decade, the field has witnessed rapid innovation—from the refinement of short-term percutaneous devices to the evolution of durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and total artificial hearts (TAHs). Despite these advances, clinicians and researchers continue to face challenges related to device-related complications, patient selection, weaning strategies, and long-term outcomes.

This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research, clinical experience, and expert perspectives on the current and future role of MCS in cardiac surgery. This issue will serve as a platform for discussing technological innovations, clinical algorithms, and interdisciplinary approaches that shape the use of MCS in both emergency and chronic settings.

We invite original research articles and reviews on topics including (but not limited to):

  • Innovations in short-term MCS (e.g., Impella, VA-ECMO, TandemHeart)
  • Long-term support: current generation LVADs and future directions
  • Total artificial heart: indications, outcomes, and current limitations
  • Patient selection and timing of MCS initiation
  • Bridging strategies: to recovery, transplantation, or decision
  • Management of complications (e.g., bleeding, thrombosis, infection)
  • Weaning and explantation strategies
  • Ethical considerations and quality of life with durable MCS
  • Pediatric mechanical support: challenges and innovations
  • The role of surgical and interventional teams in MCS management

Dr. Anton Sabashnikov and Dr. Ihor Krasivskyi
Guest Editors

Keywords

  • mechanical circulatory support
  • extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
  • ventricular assist device
  • long-term MCS
  • short-term MCS
  • heart failure
  • cardiogenic shock
  • total artificial heart

Share