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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Artificial Heart

They leave part of the original heart behind and attach the artificial heart. It is used as a stop gap till a transplant can occur.

Live Science: Total Artificial Heart Transplanted in West Coast First
Each year, 670,000 Americans are diagnosed with heart failure, according to the American Heart Association. About 3,100 people are on the heart transplant list at any given time, competing for one of the approximately 2,200 hearts donated each year. The total artificial heart extends the life of the patient until a match can be found. Syncardia is currently running a study on whether patients can safely leave the hospital and wait for their donor heart at home while using the artificial heart.


Approximately 80 percent of artificial heart recipients — currently more than 850 worldwide — get a permanent transplant within six months.

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