man in houston lives with artificial heart

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2011

http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/AboutUs/News/2011-03-23news_tah.cfm
I live in Houston and have my current clinical at the med center....I saw this on AOL news and it is so incredible!!

So does Dick Cheney..... :smokin: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/15/dick-cheney-heart-pump-wh_n_648190.html

Biffbradford · Jun 23, 2011

Cheney has a VAD, (I think it's a Heartmate but is it a I or II? I dunno). He still has his natural heart. Sounds like this is the first non-pulsitile total artificial heart as opposed to the Cardiowest which clunks along at 130 bpm. Is non-pulsitile better or worse? I dunno.

Amazing? Yes. An awful situation to be in though. Once they stick that thing in you, you've got it for 6 months minimum before you're listed on the transplant list. I've seen good and bad outcomes from folks with these devices.

allnurses Guide · Jul 3, 2011

this is not exactly a total artificial heart - it's biventricular heartmate ii vad placed in tah configuration attached to the native atria (both ventricles removed due to amyloidosis). it is very cool and a revolutionary step forward by dr frazier. a cool quote by dr cohn:"this is just the first shot," cohn said. "what we've kind of done is taken two motorcycles, strapped them together, and called it a car. but it's not really a car. not yet."

dick cheney has a continuous flow heartmate ii lvad.

the pulsatile heartmate i is very rarely used anymore as it's known to have a lifespan of

the time to transplant depends on pt condition; receiving a vad does not mean you cannot be transplanted for several months but usually that does happen because you want the patients to rehab and get stronger from the vad before undergoing another big operation like transplant. plus, sometimes this time permits the heart to rest sufficiently that it recovers and the device can be removed without the need for transplant.

ladyelph · Oct 9, 2012

http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/AboutUs/News/2011-03-23news_tah.cfm
I live in Houston and have my current clinical at the med center....I saw this on AOL news and it is so incredible!!

I have just started as a newly qualified staff nurse in the UK and we have a similar patient with a totally artificial heart ... totally awesome! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14363731

Biffbradford · Oct 16, 2012

Awesome for you ... not so awesome for the poor soul who has to resort to that contraption to stay alive.

(yes, I've taken care of a number of total artificial heart patients in the CVICU)

ladyelph · Oct 18, 2012

As a 'new' nurse I find it awesome that such a thing can be done, I make no apologies for that. This man is ALIVE, he is able to walk around, able to spend time with his young family, his children still have a daddy. Surely that must be considered awesome.