Abstract: An apparatus and method for use in assisting a human heart is disclosed. A skeletal muscle is formed into a pouch which then surrounds a collapsible, shape-retaining bladder. The bladder is connected to a second bladder enclosed in a sheath around a portion of the aorta. The bladders are filled with a fluid such that when the skeletal muscle contracts in response to an electrical stimulation, the fluid is forced from the first bladder into the bladder sheathed with the aorta, expanding that bladder and forcing the aorta to compress.A period of vascular delay and electrically stimulated training is preferred after the pouch is formed and before use in conjunction with the aorta. Use of a gate means between the two bladders enables implantation of the entire system in one surgical procedure.