The Total Artificial Heart as a Bridge to Transplantation
A Report of Two Cases
- Jack G. Copeland, MD;
- Mark M. Levinson, MD;
- Richard Smith, MSEE, CEE;
- Timothy B. Icenogle, MD;
- Cecil Vaughn, MD;
- Kevin Cheng, DDS;
- Richard Ott, MD;
- Robert W. Emery, MD
- From the Section of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Arizona Health Sciences Center (Drs Copeland, Levinson, cenogle, Ott, and Emery), and the Artificial Heart Program, University Medical Center (Mr Smith), Tucson; and the St Luke's Heart and Lung Center, Phoenix (Dr Vaughn). Dr Cheng is in private practice in Tempe, Ariz.
Abstract
In 1985, at the University of Arizona, Tucson, two attempts were made to "bridge" patients from impending death to heart transplantation, using orthotopically positioned total artificial hearts. The first attempt, using an unapproved device on an emergency basis, failed after transplantation because of severe pulmonary edema and Pseudomonas pneumonia and the apparent transmission of a Pseudomonas infection from donor to recipient. The second experience, using a Jarvik-7 device, led to stable support for nine days with one major complication, a reversible neurologic deficit with no associated computed tomographic scan abnormality. This patient survived cardiac transplantation and, after being successfully treated for complications, has made a full recovery and returned to full-time work.
(JAMA 1986;256:2991-2995)
Footnotes
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Reprint requests to Section of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, 1501 N Campbell, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, AZ 85724 (Dr Copeland).
