Current status of the artificial heart and cardiovascular assist devices

Assist devices in existence today include extracorporeal blood pumps, intraaortic balloon pumps (IABP), external and implantable ventricular assist devices (VAD), autologous biological pumps, and the total artificial heart (TAH). The intraaortic balloon pump is in widespread clinical use and various extracorporeal pumps are available for temporary cardiac support during cardiac surgery. Ventricular assist devices and the artificial heart are still in the experimental stage. Several implantable VADs are presently undergoing clinical testing. Several experimental TAH units have already been implanted in humans. Until all clinical problems are solved, the TAH is now used primarily as a bridge to transplantation.<
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