A ventricular assist device (300, 400) for a human heart comprising: a flow housing (302, 402) having a generally cylindrical wall (304, 404) with an inner surface (306, 406) defining a portion of a flow path, the flow housing having an outer surface and sized for placement within a blood vessel (312, 412); a stator (320, 420) disposable within the flow housing, the stator having a plurality of support struts (322, 422) operatively coupling the stator to the flow housing; a rotor (340, 440) including an outer surface (344, 444) facing the inner surface (306, 406) of the cylindrical wall of the flow housing, the rotor rotatably coupled to the stator and rotatable with respect to the stator about a rotational axis, the rotor defined in part by at least one blade (346, 446) angled with respect to the rotational axis; one of the rotor (340, 440) and the stator (320, 420) comprising a field magnet and the other of the rotor and the stator comprising windings; the windings arranged for operative coupling to a power source and a controller, the power windings arranged to be responsive to the controller to allow the power source to vary the rotational speed of the rotor (340, 440), wherein the windings are electrically coupled to a power cord, and wherein at least a portion of the power cord is disposed within a selected one of the support struts, characterized in that the ventricular assist device comprises: a vascular graft (323, 423) surrounding the flow housing and coupled to the flow housing, the vascular graft sized for placement within the blood vessel (312, 412) and arranged for coupling to the blood vessel, and an annular space (311, 411) defined between the outer surface of the flow housing and the vascular graft (323, 423), wherein the annular space (311, 411) defines a portion of a second flow path. a flow housing (302, 402) having a generally cylindrical wall (304, 404) with an inner surface (306, 406) defining a portion of a flow path, the flow housing having an outer surface and sized for placement within a blood vessel (312, 412); a stator (320, 420) disposable within the flow housing, the stator having a plurality of support struts (322, 422) operatively coupling the stator to the flow housing; a rotor (340, 440) including an outer surface (344, 444) facing the inner surface (306, 406) of the cylindrical wall of the flow housing, the rotor rotatably coupled to the stator and rotatable with respect to the stator about a rotational axis, the rotor defined in part by at least one blade (346, 446) angled with respect to the rotational axis; one of the rotor (340, 440) and the stator (320, 420) comprising a field magnet and the other of the rotor and the stator comprising windings; the windings arranged for operative coupling to a power source and a controller, the power windings arranged to be responsive to the controller to allow the power source to vary the rotational speed of the rotor (340, 440), wherein the windings are electrically coupled to a power cord, and wherein at least a portion of the power cord is disposed within a selected one of the support struts, characterized in that the ventricular assist device comprises: a vascular graft (323, 423) surrounding the flow housing and coupled to the flow housing, the vascular graft sized for placement within the blood vessel (312, 412) and arranged for coupling to the blood vessel, and an annular space (311, 411) defined between the outer surface of the flow housing and the vascular graft (323, 423), wherein the annular space (311, 411) defines a portion of a second flow path. a vascular graft (323, 423) surrounding the flow housing and coupled to the flow housing, the vascular graft sized for placement within the blood vessel (312, 412) and arranged for coupling to the blood vessel, and an annular space (311, 411) defined between the outer surface of the flow housing and the vascular graft (323, 423), wherein the annular space (311, 411) defines a portion of a second flow path.