Is there a machine that can artificially pump your heart?

Question

Such as a dialysis machine cleans your blood, is there or why isn't there a machine that can circulate blood around the body while people wait for a transplant?

Answer 1

There are machines including artifical hearts and VADs.

You've already got some good answers. People have told you about the heart lung machine during surgery, though this is not viable as its not portable, and is a surgical technique (with your chest open).

There a class of machines called the VADs (Ventricular Assist devices). Do an internet search on the Jarvik 2000. These are tiny motors placed in the ventricle of hearts of people with heart failure or awaiting a transplant. They basically take a load of the heart by pumping some of the blood. Studies show people live a lot longer with a VAD- perhaps long enough to get a transplant. Don't quote me, but I think some people live 2 years or longer, than expected.

The artificial heart has been explored and experimented with. The Jarkik-7 was designed by Willem Kolf andRichard Jarvik and in 1982, was put into as I understand it... an end stage heart failure patient... (who was GOING to die, with many complications). The man lived with the heart for about 100 days, which is amazing. I think the group were blamed for the man's death... putting an end to the Jarkik-7.

Other groups have been trying to develop further. There is a recent heart called the Berlin heart, which recently kept a 13 month-old boy alive for 4 months while his own heart healed. The heart was then removed and the boy lived.

Richard Jarvik is still working on making a permanent artificial heart, since the current ones are temporary.

I hope this helps! (This is a great question)

Answer 2

umm ya a pacemaker essentially does that

Answer 3

There is a heart bypass machine for when people are having transplants. However, it is for very short term use. It cannot be used long term for several reasons.

Answer 4

yea the heart-lung machine. you can only be put on it for a short period of time, like while youre getting a heart transplant.

Answer 5

a heart lung machine can be used, but only for a very limited time - the longer it is in use the greater the chance of complications developing.  the following is from an article on using heart-lung machines in heart surgery, but applies here as well:

"A patient may remain on the heart-lung machine for several hours, though surgeons typically try to limit the amount of time patients are on bypass... The major risks associated with the heart-lung machine include:

1) Blood clots. These may form as the machine processes blood and in extreme cases may cause stroke, heart attack or kidney failure upon return to the body’s bloodstream.

2) Postpericardiotomy syndrome. A severe inflammatory response that may damage many of the body’s systems and organs.

3) The reintroduction of fat and debris from the surgical field through the use of suction.

4) Cardiac arrest."

the third answer is specific to surgery, but you get the idea...