An artificial heart may change you in surprising ways

What Patients and Families Need to Know About Artificial Hearts

This week, doctors announced that an Australian man with severe heart failure had left hospital with an artificial heart that had kept him alive until he could receive a donor heart. As a philosopher and bioethicist, I have completed my PhD on artificial hearts – particularly how these implants can change people’s lives in profound ways. Here’s what patients and their families need to consider.

What is an Artificial Heart?

Artificial hearts began to be developed in the 1960s, sponsored by the United States government and funded in a similar way to space and military programs. In 1982, a man named Barney Clark received the Jarvik-7 total artificial heart. Doctors removed his failing biological heart and replaced it with a plastic and metal device to circulate blood to his lungs and around his body. He lived for 112 days before dying from multi-organ failure. He never left hospital.

How about the Device Making News this Week?

The device in the news – the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart – was developed by a US-Australian collaboration. This device is innovative, mainly because it is the first continuous-flow device designed to replace the whole heart. Designers are also aiming for it to be the first total artificial heart suitable as a permanent transplant (known as destination therapy).

A reliable, durable and responsive total artificial heart is, in the words of Paul Jansz, the surgeon who implanted the device, “the Holy Grail”. The BiVACOR’s clinical success so far gives us reason to be optimistic about an alternative to scarce donor hearts for responding to severe heart failure.

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Transplants Can Change Lives

However, patients do not just resume their old lives when they leave hospital with an artificial heart.

While the pumping component is inside their chest, there are also external components to manage and monitor. A thick tube perforates their abdomen and connects to an external controller unit and power supply, which the patient carries around in a bag. Controllers must be closely monitored, and batteries must be regularly recharged.

We Need to Give Patients the Whole Picture

Artificial hearts are remarkable devices with great promise. But patients and families also deserve to know how these extraordinary treatments might change how they feel about themselves and the world.

They need to know this before they sign up for them. Artificial hearts don’t just save lives – they also change them.

FAQs

* What is an artificial heart?
Artificial hearts began to be developed in the 1960s, sponsored by the United States government and funded in a similar way to space and military programs.
* What is the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart?
The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart is the first continuous-flow device designed to replace the whole heart, aiming to be the first total artificial heart suitable as a permanent transplant.
* How do artificial hearts work?
Artificial hearts pump blood in the same way the heart beats, by filling with blood and squeezing to circulate blood in waves or pulses.
* What is the purpose of an artificial heart?
An artificial heart is designed to keep people alive until they can receive a donor heart, or for those who are not eligible for a transplant, as a permanent implant.

Conclusion

Artificial hearts have the potential to revolutionize the way we treat heart failure. However, it is crucial to consider the potential impact on patients’ lives and the changes that come with these extraordinary treatments. By providing patients and families with a deeper understanding of artificial hearts, we can ensure that they make informed decisions about their treatment options and are better prepared for the changes that lie ahead.