CardiacAssist Inc. announced that its TandemHeart System is selected by 100 of the nation’s elite cardiac centers, including all of the top-10 as ranked by US News & World Report to have reduced deaths from cardiogenic shock by up to 50% compared with the national average. TandemHeart is the only percutaneous "extracorporeal circulatory support" device cleared by the FDA. On the other hand, the TandemHeart device is FDA-cleared without restriction for circulatory support of critically ill patients and can be placed rapidly in a cath lab or an operating room. TandemHeart System is also fully reimbursed by Medicare under existing DRG codes. The FDA cleared TandemHeart is the only circulatory support system that can be deployed by both the cath lab and the operating room while providing unparalleled support of 5-to-8 liters of blood per minute. The device is mostly used in the cath lab for treating emergent cardiogenic shock which is due to acute myocardial infarction (heart attack); and as prophylactic support in patients undergoing high-risk percutaneous interventions; and in the surgical suite for pre- and post-surgical support in high-risk heart surgeries.