Driving Forward Innovation in Surgical MCS: Insights from the magAssist Short-to-Mid Term Circulatory Support Seminar

On March 29, 2025, magAssist hosted the Short-to-Mid Term Circulatory Support Seminar in Suzhou, gathering clinical experts across China and abroad to explore how new circulatory support strategies can improve patient outcomes in high-risk cardiovascular care. The event centered around real-world use cases of MCS devices in surgical contexts, particularly focusing on patient selection, intraoperative protection, and bridging therapies.

Prof. Nianguo Dong
（Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology）

Reframing the Future of Cardiac Support: Speed, Minimal invasiveness, Precision, and Flexibility

In the keynote address, Prof. Nianguo Dong (Wuhan Union Hospital) urged clinicians to shift their thinking around when and how to deploy support devices. "It's not only about the equipment," he emphasized. "The next generation of support must be fast, minimally invasive, precise, and flexible."

His message called for a cross-disciplinary mindset—moving beyond siloed thinking and bringing surgical, critical care, and perfusion teams together to make support strategies an integrated part of the care pathway.

From ECMO or Nothing, to Smart Surgical Support

The seminar was structured around three clinical themes:

• Decision: When is the right moment to initiate MCS? How can clinicians avoid the "too late" scenario?

• Bridge: How can temporary support improve outcomes before recovery, long-term VAD, or transplant?- -

• Protect: What does effective intraoperative myocardial protection look like?

In the "Protect" session, Prof. Yongfeng Shao (Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital) shared insights from the IMPACT trial, which evaluates the use of Impella 5.5 during complex surgical procedures. He discussed the parallels and opportunities for similar intraoperative strategies in China, particularly with devices like MoyoAssist®, which offer higher flow and long-duration support with flexible insertion options.

Prof. Yongfeng Shao (Jiangsu Province Hospital)

I-wen Wang: Lifecycle Management of Temporary Support

Prof. I-wen Wang (Florida Memorial Hospital, USA) delivered a comprehensive lecture on the practical aspects of using temporary centrifugal pumps in surgery. Drawing from his US clinical experience, he laid out a full-spectrum management model:

• Surgical access strategies

• Patient selection criteria

• Hemodynamic goals and monitoring

• Postoperative weaning and infection control

Prof. Wang emphasized that lifecycle planning—from cannulation to decannulation—is key to maximizing benefit and minimizing harm. He noted that modular, adaptable platforms like MoyoAssist® make it possible to build reproducible, team-friendly workflows in real-world hospitals.

Prof. I-wen Wang (Florida Memorial Hospital)

What Made This Seminar Different: Real Cases, Real Problems

Unlike many events that showcase only best-case scenarios, this seminar didn't shy away from the hard cases:

• AMI-related VSR (ventricular septal rupture)

• Dual-ventricle failure and flow balancing

• Anticoagulation dilemmas and weaning hurdles

• Severe infection during support

These discussions led to candid, practical exchanges during roundtable sessions, where clinicians debated ECMO vs pump-based support, single vs bi-ventricular strategies, and how to tailor MCS for different institutional realities.

Dr. Po-Lin Hsu（magAssist CEO）

The Common Belief: Every Patient Deserves a Second Chance

As one attendee put it: "Behind every failing heartbeat is someone's parent, spouse, or friend. When medicine fails, we need better tools."

magAssist will continue its commitment to building MCS technologies that arise from clinical needs and return to the bedside. With the insights gathered from this seminar, we move one step closer to making timely, personalized support a reality — not just a possibility.

The panelists at the roundtable forum are (from right to left): Prof. I-wen Wang (Florida Memorial Hospital), Prof. Liang Ma (The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), Prof. Yongfeng Shao (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Prof. Hailong Cao (Zhongda Hospital Southeast University), Prof. Cheng Zhou (Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology)