A pulsatile ventricular assist device (VAD) has a pumping unit (10) comprising an electric actuator (4) having an movable part (4a) which is movable with a linear stroke with respect to a fixed part (4b), an actuator housing (3) defining an actuator chamber within which the actuator (4) is mounted, and a pumping element in the form of a diaphragm (2) which is coupled to the movable part (4a) of the actuator (4) and hermetically seals an opening of the actuator housing (3). The actuator (4) is operated with a pulsatile blood flow pattern in accordance with the cardiac rhythm of the heart. In a preferred embodiment, the actuator (4) is configured such that one stroke of the movable part (4a) in the direction of the diaphragm (2) takes about the same time as the contraction of the heart.
