Cardio-thoracic intensive care units primarily receive patients for recovery following cardio-thoracic surgery. Approximately 70% of the patients belong to this category. 18% are patients who are admitted or readmitted directly. Transplantations, pulmonary endarterectomy, congenital heart diseases and therapeutic hypothermia patients are a small group (12%) but make up a large part of the activity because of their extended length of stay. The use of ventricular assist devices and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are both important in the future management of cardio-ventilatory recovery.