1983 : ARTIFICIAL-HEART PATIENT DIES:
On March 23, 1983, Barney Clark dies 112 days after becoming the
world's first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. The
61-year-old dentist spent the last four months of his life in a
hospital bed at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake
City, attached to a 350-pound console that pumped air in and out of
the aluminum-and-plastic implant through a system of hoses.
In the late 19th century, scientists began developing a pump to
temporarily supplant heart action. In 1953, an artificial heart-lung
machine was employed successfully for the first time during an
operation on a human patient. In this procedure, which is still used
today, the machine temporarily takes over heart and lung function,
allowing doctors to operate extensively on these organs. After a few
hours, however, blood becomes damaged by the pumping and oxygenation.
In the late 1960s, hope was given to patients with irreparably damaged
hearts when heart-transplant operations began. However, the demand for
donor hearts always exceeded availability, and thousands died every
year while waiting for healthy hearts to become available.
On April 4, 1969, a historic operation was performed by surgeon Denton
Cooley of the Texas Heart Institute on Haskell Karp, a patient whose
heart was on the brink of total collapse and to whom no donor heart
had become available. Karp was the first person in history to have his
diseased heart replaced by an artificial heart. The temporary
plastic-and-Dacron heart extended Karp's life for the three days it
took doctors to find him a donor heart. However, soon after the human
heart was transplanted into his chest, he died from infection. Seven
more failed attempts were made, and many doctors lost faith in the
possibility of replacing the human heart with a prosthetic substitute.
In the early 1980s, however, a pioneering new scientist resumed
efforts to develop a viable artificial heart. Robert K. Jarvik had
decided to study medicine and engineering after his father died of
heart disease. By 1982, he was conducting animal trials at the
University of Utah with his Jarvik-7 artificial heart.
On December 2, 1982, a team led by Dr. William C. DeVries implanted
the Jarvik-7 into Barney Clark. Because Jarvik's artificial heart was
intended to be permanent, the Clark case drew worldwide attention.
Clark spent his last 112 days in the hospital and suffered
considerably from complications and the discomfort of having
compressed air pumped in and out of his body. He died on March 23,
1983, from various complications. Clark's experience left many feeling
that the time of the permanent artificial heart had not yet come.
During the next decade, Jarvik and others concentrated their efforts
on developing mechanical pumps to assist a diseased heart rather than
replace it. These devices allow many patients to live the months or
even years it takes for them to find a donor heart. Battery powered,
these implants give heart-disease patients mobility and allow them to
live relatively normal lives. Meanwhile, in the 1990s, the Jarvik-7
was used on more than 150 patients whose hearts were too damaged to be
aided by the mechanical pump implant. More than half of these patients
survived until they got a transplant.
In 2001, a company called AbioMed unveiled the AbioCor, the first
completely self-contained replacement heart. Although patients
implanted with the AbioCor have still eventually died, AbioMed has
shown it is possible to live as long as 500 days with the implant.
Scientists continue to look for ways to improve artificial hearts for
long-term use.
history.com/tdih.do
1775 : Patrick Henry voices American opposition to British policy
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4856
1919 : Mussolini founds the Fascist party
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4857
1994 : Leading Mexican presidential candidate assassinated
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4858
#######################################
On March 23, 1983, Barney Clark dies 112 days after becoming the
world's first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. The
61-year-old dentist spent the last four months of his life in a
hospital bed at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake
City, attached to a 350-pound console that pumped air in and out of
the aluminum-and-plastic implant through a system of hoses.
In the late 19th century, scientists began developing a pump to
temporarily supplant heart action. In 1953, an artificial heart-lung
machine was employed successfully for the first time during an
operation on a human patient. In this procedure, which is still used
today, the machine temporarily takes over heart and lung function,
allowing doctors to operate extensively on these organs. After a few
hours, however, blood becomes damaged by the pumping and oxygenation.
In the late 1960s, hope was given to patients with irreparably damaged
hearts when heart-transplant operations began. However, the demand for
donor hearts always exceeded availability, and thousands died every
year while waiting for healthy hearts to become available.
On April 4, 1969, a historic operation was performed by surgeon Denton
Cooley of the Texas Heart Institute on Haskell Karp, a patient whose
heart was on the brink of total collapse and to whom no donor heart
had become available. Karp was the first person in history to have his
diseased heart replaced by an artificial heart. The temporary
plastic-and-Dacron heart extended Karp's life for the three days it
took doctors to find him a donor heart. However, soon after the human
heart was transplanted into his chest, he died from infection. Seven
more failed attempts were made, and many doctors lost faith in the
possibility of replacing the human heart with a prosthetic substitute.
In the early 1980s, however, a pioneering new scientist resumed
efforts to develop a viable artificial heart. Robert K. Jarvik had
decided to study medicine and engineering after his father died of
heart disease. By 1982, he was conducting animal trials at the
University of Utah with his Jarvik-7 artificial heart.
On December 2, 1982, a team led by Dr. William C. DeVries implanted
the Jarvik-7 into Barney Clark. Because Jarvik's artificial heart was
intended to be permanent, the Clark case drew worldwide attention.
Clark spent his last 112 days in the hospital and suffered
considerably from complications and the discomfort of having
compressed air pumped in and out of his body. He died on March 23,
1983, from various complications. Clark's experience left many feeling
that the time of the permanent artificial heart had not yet come.
During the next decade, Jarvik and others concentrated their efforts
on developing mechanical pumps to assist a diseased heart rather than
replace it. These devices allow many patients to live the months or
even years it takes for them to find a donor heart. Battery powered,
these implants give heart-disease patients mobility and allow them to
live relatively normal lives. Meanwhile, in the 1990s, the Jarvik-7
was used on more than 150 patients whose hearts were too damaged to be
aided by the mechanical pump implant. More than half of these patients
survived until they got a transplant.
In 2001, a company called AbioMed unveiled the AbioCor, the first
completely self-contained replacement heart. Although patients
implanted with the AbioCor have still eventually died, AbioMed has
shown it is possible to live as long as 500 days with the implant.
Scientists continue to look for ways to improve artificial hearts for
long-term use.
history.com/tdih.do
1775 : Patrick Henry voices American opposition to British policy
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4856
1919 : Mussolini founds the Fascist party
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4857
1994 : Leading Mexican presidential candidate assassinated
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4858
#######################################
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