The Invention of the Artificial Heart
Overview
During the second half of the twentieth century coronary heart disease became the leading cause of death in wealthy, industrialized nations. Moreover, more than half of the deaths in the United States were caused by cardiovascular diseases. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by aggressive management and surgical procedures, including heart transplant operations. The shortage of donor hearts, however, led to hope that a totally implantable mechanical device could overcome the shortage and avoid the problem of immunological rejection, but early attempts to implant permanent artificial hearts were criticized as premature human experiments. Indeed, the controversies raised by experimental implantations in the 1960s may have inhibited the development of a permanent heart replacement. The poor quality of life provided by artificial hearts instead led to efforts to develop a new generation of left ventricular assist devices.
Background
The human heart is a remarkable organ—little bigger than a fist—that beats over 100,000 times a day without rest. In an average adult, the heart pumps more than 4,300 gallons (16,000 liters) of blood a day through nearly 100,000 miles (161,000 km) of blood vessels. Picturing the heart as just a pump, Michael E.
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