What Did We Learn About VADs in 2024-2025?

This is our 11th annual literature review on left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Our previous reports were well received by readers.1-10 In prior years, we also included other forms of mechanical circulatory support (MCS); however, this year, we present a separate review focused exclusively on temporary MCS. In this article, we summarize the most interesting, from our standpoint, publications from 2024 and 2025, with some inclusion of late 2023 studies that were initially released online before print. For the first time, we provide an independent review on short-term MSC devices, including the intra-aortic balloon pump, Impella (Abiomed), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Readers who wish to offer additional insights or comment on the author’s interpretations are invited to send letters to the editor at [email protected].