Barnes-Jewish and Washington University to Implant Total Artificial Heart

Washington University heart transplant surgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital will be one of only nine surgical teams in the country to implant the CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) as a bridge-to-transplantation in specific heart transplant candidates. 

The CardioWest™ TAH-t is an improved version of the Jarvik-7 Artificial Heart, which was first implanted in Barney Clark in 1982. The heart transplant team will be the only one in the Midwest to use the artificial heart. Training to implant the device began in November with a goal of implanting two of the devices at Barnes-Jewish in 2007.

"This unique technology would allow us to treat the most challenging group of patients who have severe dysfunction of the entire heart muscle and would not survive without full circulatory support," says Nader Moazami, MD, surgical director of heart transplant at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

The CardioWest™ TAH-t completely replaces the patient''s diseased heart with a goal of restoring normal blood pressure and cardiac output and also facilitating recovery of end-organ function, such as the kidney and liver. As a result, patients become better candidates for transplantation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the artificial heart for use as bridge-to-transplant in 2004 for patients at risk of imminent death from non-reversible biventricular failure.

"By replacing the heart with an artificial pump, we can revive the patients, rehabilitate them, and make them a better transplant candidate," says Dr. Moazami.

The CardioWest™ device consists of two ventricles connected to the respective native atria and greater vessels. An air hose or drive line covered with double velour material passes from each ventricle transcutaneously to a console that pulses pressurized air and monitors pump function. The device offers full circulatory support, one of the shortest blood path and exposure to artificial surfaces, and one of the highest level of cardiac output when compared with other artificial heart systems available today.

In addition to offering the CardioWest™ TAH-t, the heart transplant team at Barnes-Jewish and Washington University School of Medicine is the only group in the St. Louis area approved by the federal Medicare program to permanently implant left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) to help those suffering from advanced stage heart failure.

Since 1985, Washington University surgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital have performed more than 500 heart transplants. After 20 years, almost half of these patients are still alive. The program has gained a reputation for taking on some of the most challenging cases – patients who may have been turned down at other centers – and still achieving very strong survival rates. The program is now known as one of the leading centers in the country for post-transplant care and use of devices such as ventricular assist device as a bridge or alternative to transplant.

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