Support Group for People suffering from Heart Diseases Worldwide

Can an Artificial Heart Replace the Real Thing?

Working with the European Aeronautics Defense & Space (EADS) — best known as the maker of the Airbus jet — French researchers have developed a pioneering new artificial heart. Dr. Alain Carpentier, the heart surgeon who led the development of the device, said that the first heart patients may receive the experimental organ in just three years.

"This attempt to permanently replace the physiological heart with a completely new artificial heart has been the Holy Grail of researchers," says Dr. Peter Weissberg, the British Heart Foundation's medical director, who was not involved with creating the new device. "The question now is whether it can prove as durable as the natural heart by beating 60 to 100 times per minute for life."

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Permalink Reply by mary on January 19, 2010 at 9:18am: I am excited to hear of this new invention an artificial heart in three years. Who knows it could save millions of people from dying from heart failure...but how long can you actuallly live with this mechanical heart? you have to take certain medications to have this in you like prenisone and others doesnt that still shorten your life span with these meds? I hear the longest would be 5 to 7 years because of hardening of the arteries? I hope we could have this and live 20 30 years or longer with this new heart replacement but can we? and live longer live? Haven't we tryed this years ago and failed on this experiment? I could be wrong please elighten me on the differences from years ago experiments to todays new visions? I have heart trouble to and trying to deal with it but if we could all have a working heart to keep us alive longer to be with our familys and friends and still live our lives I am for this new invention. I hope it comes out sooner than 3 years im sure people will be willing to try this if they were dying of heart failure young middle aged and old population who knows maybe we could get people to live to 100 years old or more that would be nice....I am happy about this but what are the odds of making it through the surgery? and how long after that will people will survive? I guess thats what the experiments are for? Please start the experiments sooner theres so many people dying from this horrible disease all over the world. Please let me kow when this take place I would really like to know about the research that takes place its really interesting. Years ago I lost my parents and grandparents and friends to this horrible disease I would love to see some new advances in this, we have to try for our kids sake, new research, I hope some day there will be new cures for arrythmias that you get it and go to the doctor take a pill and it goes away for good or have surgery and it goes away for good but as it stands theres no cure for this and its scary and it leads to heart failure eventually, I hope this works for everyone sake, replacing the heart doesnt mean your replacing the soul, I am for scientific research for the near future I hope it works I really do good luck!; ▶ Reply to This