39-Year-Old Becomes First US Patient To Receive 'Aeson' Artificial Heart Implant (sciencealert.com) 25
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ScienceAlert: [A] team of surgeons has successfully completed the first human implantation in the US of an artificial heart device called the 'Aeson', developed by French company CARMAT. The artificial heart has two ventricular chambers and four biological valves, just like the real organ, and is powered by an external device. Made from "biocompatible materials" including bovine tissue, the artificial heart uses a combination of sensors and algorithms to maintain its pace and keep blood circulating through the body. "We are encouraged that our patient is doing so well after the procedure," says cardiologist Carmelo Milano from the Duke University School of Medicine. "As we evaluate this device, we are both excited and hopeful that patients who otherwise have few to no options could have a lifeline."
The patient in question is 39-year-old Matthew Moore, from Shallotte in North Carolina. Moore was initially due to have heart bypass surgery, but as his condition deteriorated the medical staff started to run out of options; he became so ill that even a regular heart transplant was too risky. Fortunately, he was in the right place: the Aeson device is being tested at Duke University, pending approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It's already been given the green light for use by regulators in Europe, after several years of tests in European patients, not all of which have been successful. The artificial heart has been developed specifically to help those whose hearts can no longer pump enough blood through both chambers. It replaces the entire natural heart, although it's not intended to be permanent -- it's designed to be a bridge towards a full heart transplant within six months or so.
The patient in question is 39-year-old Matthew Moore, from Shallotte in North Carolina. Moore was initially due to have heart bypass surgery, but as his condition deteriorated the medical staff started to run out of options; he became so ill that even a regular heart transplant was too risky. Fortunately, he was in the right place: the Aeson device is being tested at Duke University, pending approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It's already been given the green light for use by regulators in Europe, after several years of tests in European patients, not all of which have been successful. The artificial heart has been developed specifically to help those whose hearts can no longer pump enough blood through both chambers. It replaces the entire natural heart, although it's not intended to be permanent -- it's designed to be a bridge towards a full heart transplant within six months or so.
"Transplant Shortage" (Score:5, Insightful)
The 6-month bridge may not be necessary if there were more transplants available.
We hear about the "Transplant Shortage" but the reality is that policy, not a lack of donors, causes this.
The Transplant Team members have to fly to where the organ is, explant it, fly it back, and implant it. Maybe even sleeping on the plane. If those docs are otherwise scheduled when an organ becomes available, it's not going to happen.
What we need are policy changes so we can have explant specialists who can explant and certified couriers who can transport, and then the transplant specialist can implant. Making room in a schedule or extending the schedule is much easier than the current process.
It's stupid to have people dying unnecessarily because of bad policy.
To have these docs available we need more medical schools and to do that we need to remove the AMA's monopoly on accreditation. They're run by surgeons and anesthesiologists who well understand that limited supply keeps wages high.
They're not wrong on the economics, but the counterparty cost is unnecessary death among the population. The People can not stand for that.
Re: (Score:1)
I think you just made it much more complicated, costly, and prone to issues.
K.I.S.S.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
It doesn't seem like the explant operation should be that difficult (IINAD, so just guessing), and a few explant specialists could cover a region. It's not like it's normally a surprise (although rush situations happen), normally there is plenty of time to schedule when the patient is going to be taken off life support and organs can be extracted. The courier part is easy, the carrier would be certified, employees within the company would get training on how to treat the package, monitoring temperature/st
Re: (Score:2)
Based on my understanding, the courier role wouldn't be a 'medical' team, because it's just escorting a preserved organ. So it's two medical teams.
While not every hospital would necessarily have an explant team on hand, there's almost certainly one in a 50 mile radius.
So sure, you have two medical teams instead of one, but in exchange you don't have that surgical team just being useless flying back and forth with an organ that won't be getting medical attention in transport anyway.
Also, who says that you'd
bill_mcgonigle is an ignorant fuckhead (Score:3)
...who's real goal is to have every chiropractor, taxidermist and barbecue joint certified as a medical school and an Organ Procurement Organization by any private entity with enough money to print accreditation certificates.
You can tell that from his own words.
What we need are policy changes so we can have explant specialists who can explant and certified couriers who can transport, and then the transplant specialist can implant. Making room in a schedule or extending the schedule is much easier than the current process.
...
To have these docs available we need more medical schools and to do that we need to remove the AMA's monopoly on accreditation. They're run by surgeons and anesthesiologists who well understand that limited supply keeps wages high.
ACTUAL organ donation process works nothing like he imagines. [organdonor.gov]
In fact, with separate teams doing extraction and implanting it works closer to what he thinks it SHOULD be like.
With an added bonus of a far greater network of OPO teams than his fucked u
Re: (Score:1)
Why not have the donor corpse cooled down, and transported to the hospital where the patient is and have the team extract and implant immediately?
I assume it will not require specialist on standby at the donor hospital, and it just needs the body to be preped for transport and some specialists to transport it.
Will that work?
Re: "Transplant Shortage" (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
What we need are policy changes so we can have explant specialists who can explant and certified couriers who can transport, and then the transplant specialist can implant. Making room in a schedule or extending the schedule is much easier than the current process.
All of that infrastructure exists, there are hundreds of transportation companies dedicated to it and that specialize in various types of tissues and organs.
I can say for certain they have been around since at least the early 80's.
My mother used to be one of those couriers and the company at the time specialized in eye transportation.
It was one of two companies that had their offices right at the international airport, and would be waiting at the hanger doors where the helicopter landed for the pickup, and
How much? (Score:2)
CARMAT (Score:2)
The jokes write themselves.
*** You can go all night *** (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What they're not telling you is that they're fucking you up the arse all night.
When it's my time (Score:1)
Another design (Score:2)
And remember, (Score:1)
Awesome! (Score:2)
I'm super psyched about this because we really do need to develop artificial organs. Transplants have too many down sides but were sufficient (as opposed to dying) so it's a method that's been kept around. I can only hope we continue to develop more and better replacements until they get to the point where they are grown, implanted, integrate with the host immune system, and have superior functionality to the original organs.
Artificial heart? Will it keep trying to beat... (Score:2)
Sorry for the grusome picture painted there... but honestly it's the first thing that crossed my mind.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
There was a documentary about that some time ago.
I think it was by Poe, Edgar Allen . . .