J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 88(9): 1063-1066, 1987

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Report on the annual meeting

ARTIFICIAL HEART AND HEART ASSIST DEVICE : PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE PROSPECT

It has been thirty years since research and development of both total artificial heart (TAH) and ventricular assist device (VAD) were initiated in 1957. The longest survival time is 393 days in VAD (calf), 354 days in TAH (calf), and 622 days in TAH (human). The total number of VAD clinical casesin the world is around 300, and that in Japan is 51 (Dec., 1987). Out of 51 cases in Japan 31 (61%) were weaned, and 11 (22%) survived. The first clinical use of TAH was performed in 1969 as a bridge to heart transplantation. In five patients TAH was implanted as a permanent device, and pumped from 10 to 622 days (average 292 days). All three longest survivals were died of thromboemboli. The number of TAH used as a bridge to transplantation is 54. The pumping time ranged from 11 hours to 243 days (average 17 days). Forty out of 54 were transplanted. The use of TAH or VAD as a bridge to transplantation is now an established and approved therapeutic means as two-staged heart replacement. Research efforts of artificial heart are directed to develop an electrically-driven types, and eventually a completely implantable system including the energy source.

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