Systems and methods for selective occlusion of the peripheral venous vasculature to unload the heart

A system for unloading a heart of a patient to improve cardiac performance, the system comprising:

• a first flow limiting element configured to be selectively actuated to occlude a first vein in fluid communication with a first extremity of the patient;
• a second flow limiting element configured to be selectively actuated to occlude a second vein in fluid communication with a second extremity of the patient;
• a controller operatively coupled to the first and second flow limiting elements, the controller configured to cause the first and/or second flow limiting elements to expand according to a predetermined actuation regimen to selectively occlude the first and/or second veins to reduce cardiac preload and increase mean arterial pressure to thereby selectively increase arterial vascular resistance of the patient's extremities, while maintaining arterial vascular resistance of the patient's heart and end organs and increasing perfusion to the patient's heart and end organs.