Interventional heart failure therapies: an emerging field in interventional cardiology

td{ vertical-align:text-top;} ABSTRACT Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in the Western world. Despite improvements in diagnostic tools and therapies, a substantial number of patients with HF still remain highly symptomatic, with a poor quality of life. Most of these patients are ineligible for heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device placement, which underscores an unmet clinical need in this population. Novel device-based HF therapies represent therapeutic options for these patients to improve their symptoms and quality of life. First-in-man studies showed promising results in terms of feasibility, and device performances. However, there is still scarce data regarding efficacy. In this review, we focus on the pathophysiological rationale, emerging data, concerns, and future perspective behind the 3 most studied type of device-based HF therapy: interatrial shunt devices, designed to decompress the left atrium and prevent pulmonary edema; ventriculoplasty devices, designed to physically restore the left ventricle in patients with maladaptive left ventricular remodeling; and cardiorenal flow modulator devices, designed to improve diuresis and renal function in acute decompensated heart failure with cardiorenal syndrome.