The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 70, 214-222, Copyright © 1975 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Refinement in application of total artificial heart, with improvement in survival and histopathological findings
T Honda, JV Cockrell, Y Kito, WH Gibson and T Akutsu
Recent improvements in total artificial heart (TAH) experiments have
changed the pathological findings as well as the concept of the TAH. In the
past 3 years, 67 experiments were performed in our laboratory. This study
concerns the 11 calves operated upon most recently. Histopathological
findings in the lungs, kidneys, livers and spleens of these animals were
greatly improved over findings from previously studied animals.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) syndrome has been seen in only
1 calf. These improvements can be attributed to the following factors: (1)
Improved management of the lumg during surgery has essentially eliminated
pulmonary insufficiency;(2) liver damage has been successfully prevented by
the discovery of the relationship between high right atrial pressure and
anemia; (3) careful aseptic surgical procedures and optimal prophylactic
use of antibiotics and anticoagulants have minimized the incidence of
infection and clot formation.
