Another advanced technology product that helps the person to hold on to life is the total artificial heart device. A total artificial heart device, which is used in cases where the heart cannot perform its normal functions and blood circulation in the body cannot be achieved with artificial heart support devices, is placed in place of the patient's own heart.
What are Artificial Heart Support Devices (VAD)?
The heart, which is one of the vital organs, continuously circulates the average 5 liters of blood in the human body and provides nutrition to cells, tissues and organs. The heart contracts about 10,000 times a day, sending oxygen-rich blood to all tissues. As in the whole world, cardiovascular diseases take the first place among the reasons for hospitalization in Turkey. The heart may not be able to perform its normal functions due to advanced heart diseases. Heart transplants are only performed in 10% to 15% of patients today. This causes the number of people waiting for a heart transplant to be quite high. Artificial heart support devices designed for the person to continue his/her vital functions allow the person to hold on to life for a while and to find the appropriate heart during this time. It can also be defined as a support device that provides The total artificial heart, which weighs approximately 160 grams, has the capacity to circulate 10 liters of blood per day. Depending on the general health of the person, the person can perform activities such as walking and running. The importance of the total artificial heart can be better understood when the existence of patients who have lived for 4 years and then survived with a heart transplant in the literature. By definition, it sends the dirty blood to the lungs. The oxygen-enriched blood in the lungs enters the left ventricle of the heart, the left ventricle. Then blood, aortic dam It is pumped to the whole body through the bee.
The failure of the left, right or both ventricles, which can be defined as 2 chambers in the lower part of the heart, can be defined as heart failure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data, 17.3 million people die every year due to heart failure, which is the most important cause of loss of life in developed societies. In other words, in heart failure disease, the ability of the heart to perform its normal functions decreases over time, and after a while, the heart becomes unable to pump the blood needed by the body in a healthy way. In the last stage of heart failure, which causes other tissues and organs to be unable to reach oxygen-rich blood and the nutrients it contains, approximately half of the patients die within 1 year. very few. In such cases, the patient can be connected to an artificial heart support device in order to prolong the waiting time for the patient's heart transplant and to ensure that the person can survive. This device can be used until the patient's recovery is complete or a heart transplant has occurred. In addition to artificial heart support devices that the person can use for the rest of his life, there is also a long-term heart support system that can be used for a longer time. Short-term artificial heart support devices can be used for hours, days or weeks. For patients who need an artificial heart support device for a longer time, long-term heart support devices are used. These devices allow a person to hold on to life for years. With the advancement of medical science and technology, the patient's chance of survival in the first generation of assistive devices that extend the life span of the person is limited to 50% within 1 year, while the rate increases to 75% in the 2nd generation artificial heart support devices and 80% to 90% in the 3rd generation devices. rate.
All this In addition to these, a person's lifespan can be extended with a total artificial heart device. Thanks to the total artificial heart, which can be replaced by the patient's own heart with a long-term operation, the person can live longer and increase the possibility of a heart transplant.
What is Total Artificial Heart (TAH)?
Total artificial heart can be defined as a blood circulation support device that is placed in place of one's own heart. In addition to the implantable total artificial heart device that can be inserted into the body, there are also paracorporeal artificial heart devices that can be inserted outside the body. With these devices, which are preferred according to the general health status of the patient and the nature of the heart failure, the person can be followed at home. However, in severe cases of heart failure, the person may need to be hospitalized until the heart is found. With the total artificial heart, which can also be explained as a kind of artificial heart transplantation, the person can perform actions such as walking and running.
While the human heart has the power to pump 5 liters of blood on average per day, the total artificial heart can pump approximately 10 liters of blood. People who have a total artificial heart are included in the rehabilitation and education program. Thus, the person learns in detail what he can do, what he cannot do with the total artificial heart, and what he should pay attention to. Total artificial heart can be applied as a relatively long-term treatment or for patients awaiting a heart transplant.
For Which Patients Are Artificial Heart Support Devices Suitable?
The inability to pump enough blood to the body due to its insufficiency is defined as heart failure. Heart failure, a serious health problem, can be acute or chronic. The disease, which causes symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue, arrhythmia, heart palpitations, edema, frequent urination, and nausea, not only reduces the quality of life of the person, but also threatens his life.
Congenital heart diseases, coronary artery disease, heart attack, In the presence of heart failure, which may occur due to many different diseases such as cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, hypertension, diabetes and obesity, artificial heart support devices can be applied. Artificial heart assist devices are generally used in the presence of the following health problems:
- Mostly, artificial heart devices are used in patients who develop acute heart failure� It is suitable for short-term use. It is used to prevent damage to other tissues and organs in the body.
- In cases of Myocarditis, which can be defined as inflammation of the heart muscle due to different factors, a short-term artificial heart support device may be needed. The device is usually used when the disease is severe.
- The condition of heart failure patients who are on the heart transplant waiting list may worsen over time. Artificial heart support devices are used for a long time in such cases that cause the heart to have difficulty in performing its vital functions. artificial heart support device can be used for a long time. In such cases, which are also defined as life-long use, the person clings to life thanks to the device. Artificial heart support devices and total artificial heart ensure that the person clings to life until the heart transplant takes place.
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