Acute Cardiac Unloading

Acute cardiac unloading is any maneuver, therapy, or intervention that decreases the power expenditure of the ventricle and limits the hemodynamic forces that lead to ventricular remodeling after injury to the heart, such as myocardial infarction, myocarditis, peripartum cardiomyopathy, cardiogenic shock, or takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Its underlying principle combines reduced oxygen demand with maximized oxygen delivery to the heart through temporary, minimally invasive mechanical circulatory support that decreases cardiac workload, functionally uncoupling the heart from cardiac output so that it can rest and recover, unlike cardiopulmonary bypass or therapies that increase cardiac output but place further stress on the heart.