Previous challenges and current progress-the use of total artificial hearts in patients with end-stage heart failure

摘要

The magnitude of unmet clinical demand for patients needing a heart transplant has motivated scientists and clinicians for over half a century to develop an implantable mechanical replacement. In the USA, 400,000 people die from heart failure every year, while clinicians are only able to provide 2000-2500 transplants per year [1,2]. While some patients with left-sided heart failure can receive a left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) to augment cardiac output, many patients do not qualify for an LVAD. Thus, patients in end-stage heart failure who do not qualify for an LVAD or are unable to obtain a heart transplant would benefit from a durable, self-contained, and biocompa-tible total artificial heart (TAH).