THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL HEART, 30 YEARS LATER 💗

THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL HEART, 30 YEARS LATER

Outside the University of Utah Hospital windows a blizzard swirled, inside another kind of power, not the least bit natural, was about to be set in motion. Thirty years ago on Dec. 2, 1982, in the darkest hours of the morning, cardiothoracic surgeon William DeVries, MD, carefully removed the ravaged heart of Dr. Barney Clark—a heart that tore like tissue paper due to years of treatment with steroids—and replaced it with the world’s first permanent artificial heart. Known as the Jarvik-7 (named after former U of U physician and inventor Robert Jarvik, MD), this aluminum and polyurethane device was connected to a 400-pound air compressor that would accompany Clark for the rest of his life - all 112 days of it.
At the time, such a move was associated with the significance of putting a man on the moon or seeing Saturn’s rings for the first time. It captivated the world. Others equated it with Frankenstein-like aspects, raising bioethical questions and concerns.
During the seven-hour operation, reporters from around the world set up their press headquarters in the hospital cafeteria, draining the coffee supply. The entire world held their breath, as Clark began his final journey, pioneering a new frontier of medicine involving the most symbolic of all our organs, the heart.
A dentist and “tough old guy” from Seattle, Clark was hailed as a hero as the world witnessed him weathering hard days and enjoying some good ones too. Celebrating his 39th anniversary with his wife, Una Loy, and their children was one of the good days.
Quite suddenly, on March 23, 1983, Clark passed away at the age of 62. At the time, the cause of death was stated as “circulatory collapse and secondary multi-organ system failure.” He left behind a legacy. Clark’s willingness to pioneer this new device infused life into mechanical heart device research and challenged all of us to open our minds and question, “what is possible?”
Today, researchers at the University of Utah continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible for patients like Barney Clark. “Our Advanced Heart Failure program remains the only institution in the region actively studying novel, investigational devices to support the failing heart,” says Craig H. Selzman, MD, surgical director of the University of Utah’s Cardiac Mechanical Support and Heart Transplant program and the Lung and Heart/Lung Transplant program. During the Barney Clark era, the field was so young (the U barely had a heart surgery program), that transformative leaps such as implanting the first artificial heart could be made. Today, research in this field is more about incremental advances, smaller steps forward.
“What we are trying to do now, just like all of medicine, is to become more biologically based,” explains Selzman. “Engineering is important, but the devices we use are now very refined.” Today, patients suffering from heart failure can extend their lives with the implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that weighs only ten ounces and has a diameter of 2.5 inches.
The next transformative advance is going to be in manipulating the biology of the patient and using heart pumps to assist patients in getting their heart to recover it’s function—with the possibility of removing the heart pump and avoiding transplantation altogether. Patients supported with LVADs provide a unique opportunity for us to learn more about not just the failing heart, but rather the factors that are involved with making the heart better. When applied to the vast number of heart failure patients, this information has the potential to be as transformative as the first implant of a total artificial heart in 1982.”

Search : Vitor Hugo Lizardi Leonardi

🎬🙌Hello friends, If you liked it don't forget to leave your like and subscribe to the channel strengthen our work, it is very importantly, to widen the channel. I'll tell you, thank you.

🎬🙌The channel was created to promote texts and sounds for us to think a little about life and as we can be very happy with what little we have, did you like it, leave your LIKE, your comment as soon as possible we will reply, thank you. If any writer,record label, artist or photographer has a problem with any music upload or video, please contact us and we will remove your work immediately. Thank you!
🔴🔔 We strive to find the best and most enjoyable text and music for you! We hope to make your days more beautiful with texts and music that make you think and music to relax! Text, love and music. I'm also a writer, I'm working on this project!
🔴🔔 If you have any copyright issues or questions, please don't let me know. report, please take the time to contact us via email and we will respond within 48 hours ☎🔔 vitorleonardi99@gmail.com

#heart, #artificial, #30years, #world, #medicine, #evolution, #moon, #life, #love, #operation, #days, #future, #day,