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The SynCardia CardioWest e Total Artificial Heart
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Slepian, Marvin J. Copeland, Jack G. |
| Copyright Year | 2006 |
| Abstract | Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly regarded as the “final common pathway” of cardiovascular decline resulting from all forms of heart disease. Despite advances in the prevention and treatment of many forms of cardiovascular disease, CHF continues to exist as a major and, unfortunately, growing form of morbidity and mortality in the United States and around the world. As myocardial function declines and systemic compensatory systems are activated to support blood pressure and organ perfusion, patients progress through increasingly severe stages of CHF, each with increasing morbidity and mortality. The past decade has seen significant advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology and pharmacologic approach to the treatment of CHF. These developments have lead to a “shift to the right” of the mortality curve for CHF, with patients living longer with improved quality of life. Unfortunately once patients reach the steep or rapidly declining phase of the mortality curve, i.e. being classified as AHA/ACC Class D and NYHA Class IV CHF, their decline continues in an accelerating fashion. Patients with Class IV CHF face a greater than 75% two-year mortality risk. At that point in their natural history, medical therapy is of limited value. It is exactly for this group of maximally medically managed patients with persistent and worsening CHF that the field of mechanical circulatory support has emerged (Fig. 1). Over the years, devices have been developed with progressively increasing hemodynamic support capabilities. However, when complete bi-ventricular failure occurs, replacement of total heart pump function is needed. It is for this situation that the Total Artificial Heart has been developed. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.syncardia.com/dldir1/8263_C026.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |