A surgical procedure including making an incision in the patients body, inserting at least two sutures close to the junction of the pericardium on the upper right pulmonary vein and making an incision in the pericardium substantially parallel to the ascending portion of the aorta. An incision is made between the sutures on the upper right pulmonary vein, an inflow cannula is inserted into the vein and through the mitral-valve into the left ventricular chamber and the inflow cannula is secured to the upper right pulmonary vein. The procedure includes inserting a blood pump having an outflow graft into the patients body and cutting the outflow graft to a desired length, attaching a clamp to the aorta and then attaching the outflow graft to the aorta. The clamp is removed and air is flushed or removed from the outflow graft and the blood pump. The blood pump is then connected to the inflow cannula.
