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This photo shows the AbioCor mechanical heart that was implanted into a patient on July 2 at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Ky. The patient celebrated nearly a month of life with the heart by eating ice cream and cheesecake. (AP Photo) |
Man gets new artificial heart
A man who was close to death has received the first self-contained mechanical heart. Two surgeons from the University of Louisville did the operation at Jewish Hospital (in Louisville, Kentucky) on July 2.
The device is called the AbioCor. It is the size of a softball. It works without any wires, tubes, or hoses sticking out of the patient’s chest.
The AbioCor has a two-pound pumping unit and electronic controls that adjust the pumping speed based on the person’s body needs. It is powered by a small battery pack worn outside the body. There is also a rechargeable battery inside the unit.
The internal battery can work on its own for 30 minutes. If a patient wanted to disconnect the battery pack, the battery inside the AbioCor would take over and work for half an hour.
The AbioCor is a major improvement from mechanical hearts used in the 1980s. The most well-known device of that era was the Jarvik-7. It was attached to bulky machines outside the patient’s body.
The man who received the new mechanical heart has not been named. He is in his early 50s and has diabetes.
He has a history of heart problems that prevented him from receiving a human heart transplant.
The man had been expected to die within 30 days without the operation. Doctors expected the artificial heart to extend his life only about a month. The patient has already outlived those expectations.
Device is a major breakthrough in patient care
The AbioCor is considered a major breakthrough in improving the quality of a patient’s life. It is a first step. A permanent artificial heart is still not a reality.
“I think it’s potentially a major step forward in the artificial heart development,” said David Faxon, president of the American Heart Association. “This is obviously an experimental device whose long-term success has to be demonstrated.”
One week after the procedure, the man had to return to the operating table. University of Louisville surgeons Laman Gray, Jr., and Robert Dowling had to drain fluid around the AbioCor. That took only 30 minutes. When the AbioCor was implanted, the operation took seven hours.
The device was made by Abiomed, Inc., of Danvers, Massachusetts. The company has received United States government approval to perform at least five human trials with the device. The man in Louisville is the first.
One month after the operation, the man has shown significant improvement. He has even walked on his own. The artificial heart has helped other body organs that were failing due to his heart disease and diabetes.
“The heart is functioning exactly like it should be,” said Dr. Dowling. “It is actually allowing for his other organs to get better.”