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Success of total artificial heart (TAH) implantation as a temporary measure depends on three factors: proper patient selection, adequate surgical technique, and safe cardiac prostheses. From 1986 until March 1990, 237 patients with stagnant heart failure were examined. Sixty-one patients (27%) were put on a waiting list. Thirty-eight percent of them died awaiting transplantation. Thirteen TAH implantations were performed; nine patients who were not on a waiting list underwent TAH implantation by urgent indications. Four other patients underwent bridge TAH implantation after cardiac surgery. Our experience shows that the status of a patient before transplantation is a determinant factor and that it is possible to perform TAH implantation only in patients on a waiting list.

The totally artificial heart (TAH) is now in development in two trends. First, there is the development of a bridge system for temporary support of cardiac function. The TAH with the extracorporeal pneumatic driving system Sinus-IS is more efficient and safer. Parallel with this, a portable pneumatic driving system has been developed. That can be considered a stage in the development of the second trend: a totally implantable TAH. This article reviews problems of building of the Micron energy system to be used in implantable TAH designs.

Intraventricular blood-forcing-principle-based pneumo- and hydraulic assistance circulation device test results are proposed. The system consists of a uninipple valveless dome pump, a pneumo- or hydraulic drive, and an artificial pericardium. Stand tests of these systems and medical-biologic experiments on dogs and 17 calves were performed. The duration of these experiments was up to several days. In this report, the features of surgical techniques, perfusion parameters, control principles, hemodynamic variations, complications, and other problems concerning realization of the proposed method are discussed.

An atomic artificial heart for orthotopic implantation was developed with the following characteristics: volume, 1.2 L; weight, 1.5 kg; radioisotope power, 45 W; operating life, up to 5 years; hemodynamics, similar to natural hemodynamics. The artificial heart includes a thermal drive with systems for regulating power, feeding steam into the cylinders, return of the condensate to the steam generator, and delivery of power to the ventricles and heat container. The artificial heart is placed in an artificial pericardium partially filled with physiologic solution. It uses a steam engine with two operating cylinders that separately drive the left and right ventricles. There is no electronic control system in the proposed design. The operation of the heat engine is controlled, with preservation of autoregulation by the vascular system of the body. The separate drives for the ventricles is of primary importance as it provides for operation of the artificial heart through control of cardiac activity by venous return. Experimental testing on a hydromechanical bench demonstrated effective autoregulation.

Intra-aortic counterpulsation with a balloon pump (IABP) was used in 63 patients with cardiogenic shock, heart failure after surgery with artificial circulation, internal lacerations of the myocardium, or unstable angina. It was found that the IABP was most efficient in conditions related to myocardial ischemia. Use of arteriovenous perfusion (in 11 patients) or artificial ventricles is indicated in severe perturbations of the pumping function of the heart. As experience has shown, cardiologic and heart surgery patients usually have multiorgan insufficiency. For this reason, it is necessary to use other artificial organs in complex treatment: artificial lungs, kidneys, livers, etc.

This report summarizes the results of the in vitro evaluation of Soviet and American artificial hearts. The devices were tested at the All-Union Institute of Transplantation and Artificial Organs, Moscow, U.S.S.R., and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. These studies were designed to standardize procedures to allow comparison of artificial ventricles of different designs. Also, these studies might provide a means for evaluation of other characteristics such as hemolysis, durability, and reliability. Static and dynamic tests were performed, varying preload, afterload, rate, and systolic and diastolic time intervals. All designs demonstrated comparable function curves with capability of taking over the pressure and volume work of the natural heart.