A cardiac support system comprising an intake region for the intake of blood, an outlet region for discharging the intake blood, a pump arrangement for conveying the blood from the intake region to the outlet region, a pump-aorta connection, and a suction connection from the intake region to the pump, parts of the function of the heart being taken on by said cardiac support system, and a cardiac support method having the steps of taking in blood from within the left half of the heart, pumping, and transferring aspirated blood into the aorta with the cardiac support system.