Transplantation versus prosthetic replacement of the heart.
The cardiac allograft has a far superior clinical record than the mechanical device or artificial heart. Further efforts in two-staged cardiac replacement are encouraged using, initially, an orthotopic total replacement of the nonfunctioning heart and, later, substitution by a cardiac allograft. Orthotopic cardiac replacement with a mechanical device offers promise, but elective clinical application may be delayed for many years.
D001243:Assisted Circulation; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous