Artificial Heart Total Functioning: Procedures, Details, and Insights
The Total Artificial Heart (TAH), a device that replaces the heart's damaged ventricles and valves, offers a potential long-term solution for individuals suffering from end-stage heart failure. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is the only TAH device currently available.
Weighing approximately 7 kilograms and controlled by an external portable device, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart comes with four mechanical valves. This rechargeable device can bridge patients to a heart transplant or provide long-term support.
However, TAH implantation is a complex procedure that can take up to 9 hours. Before surgery, patients may have to spend a week at the hospital, undergoing tests such as blood tests, chest imaging, electrocardiogram (ECG), and lung function tests. Recovery can be lengthy, with some individuals needing to remain in the hospital for a month.
While TAHs can extend lives, they also present significant risks. Patients may face challenges related to anticoagulation management, infection, stroke, respiratory failure, and sepsis. Regular follow-ups and medical support are crucial to manage these complications effectively.
Survival rates after TAH implantation can be promising, with around 72% of patients surviving for up to two years. However, the quality of life may decline due to factors such as anticoagulation therapy and device noise.
Further research is needed to improve TAH recharging methods and prevent device malfunctions. Additionally, efforts are being made to develop lighter and more efficient TAHs, such as the Carmat artificial heart, which weighs about 900 grams but requires the patient to carry external batteries, impacting mobility and comfort.
Alternatives to TAHs include medications such as beta-blockers, aldosterone antagonists, and diuretics for treating heart failure. In some cases, a ventricular assist device can be an option for individuals with heart failure on one side, supporting the heart until it can fully supply blood on its own.
In conclusion, TAH implantation can sustain life in end-stage heart failure patients but carries substantial risks. Continuous medical care is essential to manage these long-term complications effectively, ensuring patients can lead as normal a life as possible with their artificial hearts.
[1] Reference for survival and quality of life data [2] Reference for complications data [3] Reference for device limitations and trial data [4] Reference for neurological and muscular effects data
- Cardiac surgery, in the form of the Total Artificial Heart (TAH) implantation, offers a long-term solution for individuals suffering from end-stage heart failure, particularly the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart.
- Heart failure patients may need to endure complex heart procedures that can last up to 9 hours, which often require pre-surgery medical-conditions testing such as blood tests, chest imaging, ECG, and lung function tests.
- Despite TAHs extending lives, they present significant risks like anticoagulation management challenges, infections, stroke, respiratory failure, sepsis, and a decline in health-and-wellness due to factors such as anticoagulation therapy and device noise.
- The science of cardiovascular health continues to advance with ongoing research aimed at improving TAH recharging methods, preventing malfunctions, and developing more efficient and lighter TAHs, like the Carmat artificial heart.
