Information About the Artificial Heart

According to Scientific American, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart, the first totally implantable permanent artificial heart.

Temporary Heart
Following a study of 81 patients who were given a temporary implantable artificial heart, the FDA approved it in 2004 for use in patients who were waiting for a heart transplant.
 
Survival Rate According to the American Heart Association, the survival rate for high-risk patients who received the temporary artificial heart was 79 percent, compared to 46 percent of those who did not receive it.


History The first recipient of an artificial heart was Barney Clark, a dentist from Seattle, in 1982. Unfortunately, Scientific American indicates that he only survived for 112 days.
 
Risks The primary risks associated with artificial heart are infections in the permanently open incisions that allow for tubes, and stroke due to blood sticking to the mechanical parts, then breaking off to cause clots.
 
AbioCor The AbioCor artificial heart has solved the problem of stroke by using a material that inhibits clotting. In addition, it eliminated the need for open incisions by using electrical power that transfers the energy through the skin to an internal device that operates the heart.
 
Considerations According to Scientific American, the moving parts of the AbioCor artificial heart have the potential to last between three and five years. It is important to recognize that patients who receive the artificial heart have a very poor prognosis and this can extend their lives.