The dawn of the ISHLT Mechanical Assisted Circulatory Support (IMACS) Registry: Fulfilling our mission

Abstract

The promulgation of our revised mission statement in 2007 reflected the pivotal position of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) on the platform of therapeutic strategies for advanced heart and lung failure. In the realm of transplantation, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Heart and Lung Transplant Registries are precious assets for our Society, as evidenced by the numerous scientific publications based on registry data. The world of MCS is rapidly evolving, with a panoply of devices populating the MCS landscape. Through our focused interest in therapeutic strategies for the treatment of advanced heart and lung failure, ISHLT is the natural home for scientific advances in MCS. The original ISHLT MCS Registry was conceived in 2000 as an effort led by Robert Kormos (ISHLT President, 1999–2000), with an initial tenure of 4 years. With the rapid evolution of MCS therapy in the United States, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) subsequently requested proposals to develop, manage, and guide scientific investigations from a registry dedicated to durable MCS devices. The contract was awarded to a group of investigators deeply embedded in the ISHLT, resulting in the genesis of Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS). INTERMACS initiated data collection in 2006; with the rapid expansion of continuous-flow technology, the database now contains more than 4,000 device implants. With the ISHLT commitment to foster an environment of scientific exchange about MCS therapy, a portal into critical developments in the field is facilitated by the Society’s natural nexus of advanced heart failure medical science and