An apparatus provides short-term cardiac support after cardiac surgery using a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) pump (or heart-lung machine) having a pump (12) coupled to a pump controller (13) for pumping oxygenated blood through a cannula (6) into the patient The pump controller (13) controls the pump (12) in a first mode to generate pulsatile flow of the oxygenated blood to the patient, and in a second mode to provide counter-pulsatile flow of blood through the cannula synchronized with the heart of the patient, whereby, when the heart of the patient is in diastole, the pump (12) forces blood from the cannula (6) into the patient, and when the heart is in systole, the pump (12) removes blood from the patient via the cannula (16).