The artificial heart in human subjects.
In preparation for clinical implantation of the Utah J-7 pneumatic artificial heart as a permanent cardiac substitute, the device was implanted into five brain-dead human subjects. This report presents our results and details our two most successful trials. Three different surgical implant techniques were utilized in the five subjects. Because of the unique "no risk" situation of the subjects, the function of the artificial heart could be tested in a manner not advisable in patients, but necessary for clinical preparation. The implantable total artificial heart was able to maintain physiological hemodynamics in two subjects for 41 and 72 hours at which time the trials were electively terminated.
D001794:Blood Pressure; D001926:Brain Death; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014554:Urination