Celebrating the Anniversary of the Artificial Heart

December 6, 2023 Stephanie McDonald

It was on Dec. 2, 1982, in the darkest hours of the morning at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City, where cardiothoracic surgeon William DeVries, MD, carefully removed the ravaged heart of Dr. Barney Clark—a heart that tore like tissue paper due to years of treatment with steroids—and replaced it with the world’s first permanent artificial heart, known as the Jarvik-7.

Dr. Robert Jarvik, a bioengineer, developed the Jarvik-7, and it was intended as a bridge to transplant for patients with end-stage heart failure who were not eligible for a heart transplant. The device took over the pumping function of Clark's failing heart, allowing him to survive while waiting for a donor's heart.

Barney Clark, a retired dentist, lived for 112 days with the artificial heart before succumbing to complications related to the device. While the first permanent artificial heart implantation was a significant medical milestone, it also highlighted the challenges and limitations of early artificial heart technology. Over the years, advancements in ventricular assist devices (VADs) and heart transplantation techniques have provided more effective options for treating end-stage heart failure.

The development of the artificial heart has a rich history that spans several decades. Here are some of the critical milestones in the history of the artificial heart:

1930s-1950s: The idea of creating an artificial heart gained traction in the 1930s and 1940s. Scientists and researchers began experimenting with mechanical devices to support or replace the heart.
1952: Dr. Paul Zoll, an American cardiologist, developed the first external pacemaker, a significant step toward developing artificial heart devices.
1960: Dr. Willem Kolff, a Dutch physician, built the first artificial heart, the "Kolff-Brigham" heart. It was a pneumatic pump designed for temporary use.
1969: Denton Cooley, an American heart surgeon, implanted the first artificial heart into a human patient. The heart, known as the "Haskell-Karp" heart, was designed for short-term use and served as a bridge to transplant.
1982: The Jarvik-7 artificial heart, developed by Dr. Robert Jarvik, gained widespread attention after being implanted into Dr. Clark.
1984: The first successful heart transplant using a donor’s heart took place in 1967, performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard in South Africa. This marked a significant breakthrough in cardiac surgery and provided an alternative to artificial hearts for certain patients.
1990s-Present: Advances in medical technology, materials science, and engineering have led to the development of more sophisticated ventricular assist devices (VADs) that can be used as a bridge to transplant or as destination therapy for patients ineligible for a heart transplant.

Long Lasting Impact

The development and use of artificial heart devices, particularly ventricular assist devices (VADs), have resulted in several benefits to society and the healthcare profession:

Bridge to Transplant: Artificial hearts and ventricular assist devices have served as a bridge to transplant for patients awaiting heart transplantation, allowing them to survive while waiting for a suitable donor heart.
Destination Therapy: Some artificial heart devices are used as destination therapy for patients not eligible for heart transplantation. These devices can significantly improve the quality of life for individuals with end-stage heart failure.
Advancements in Cardiac Surgery: Artificial heart development has contributed to advancements in cardiac surgery and the understanding of cardiovascular diseases.
Research and Innovation: The pursuit of creating artificial hearts has driven research and innovation in bioengineering, materials science, and medical technology, benefiting cardiology and various medical disciplines.

While the artificial heart has not replaced heart transplantation as the primary treatment for end-stage heart failure, it has played a crucial role in advancing medical knowledge and providing life-saving support for certain patients. Ongoing research and technological advancements continue to shape the landscape of artificial heart development and its applications in healthcare.

At ACLS Academy, we train healthcare professionals on cardiac-related life-saving skills certifications. At the same time, we may not be making the innovative inroads of Drs. Zoll, Kolff, Cooley, Jarvik, or DeVries, we are training first responders and healthcare professionals in procedures that save lives. In fact, we’ve trained over 25,000 students in life-saving skills certifications like:

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (BLS)

Basic Life Support teaches those in the healthcare industry or healthcare students CPR & AED use. The course teaches single-rescuer and team basic life support skills for application in pre-hospital and in-facility environments.

Our Basic Life Support (BLS) course covers the following:

CPR for adults, children, and infants.
The importance of early use of AED.
Ventilation using a barrier device.
The importance of teams in multi-rescuer resuscitation and the importance of an influential team member.
Relief of foreign body airway obstruction for adults and children.

ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR LIFE SUPPORT (ACLS)

The initial course focuses on the importance of high-performance team dynamics and communication, systems of care, recognition, and intervention of cardiopulmonary arrest, immediate post-cardiac arrest, acute dysrhythmia, stroke, and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The course focuses on the review of materials, core competency, and hands-on demonstration.

Our Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) course covers the following:

Define systems of care.
How can a rapid response team (RRT) or medical emergency team (MET) improve patient outcomes?
Recognize and manage Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), stroke, respiratory arrest, and cardiac arrest.
Recognize bradycardia and tachycardias that may result in cardiac arrest.
Perform early management of cardiac arrest until termination of resuscitation or transfer of care.
Evaluate resuscitative efforts.

PEDIATRIC ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT (PALS)

This course is for healthcare providers responding to infant and child emergencies. The goal of PALS is to improve the quality of care provided to seriously ill or injured children, resulting in improved outcomes.

Our Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course covers the following:

Perform CPR on pediatric patients.
Recognize cardiopulmonary arrest and begin CPR within 10 seconds.
Differentiate between respiratory distress and failure, as well as unstable and stable patients with arrhythmias.
Perform early interventions for respiratory distress and failure and the treatment of shock.
Implement post-cardiac arrest management.

NEONATAL RESUSCITATION PROGRAM (NRP)

The Neonatal Resuscitation Program® (NRP®) course conveys an evidence-based approach to the care of the newborn at birth. It facilitates effective team-based care for healthcare professionals who care for newborns during delivery. NRP utilizes a blended learning approach, including online testing, case-based simulations, and hands-on case-based simulation/debriefing that focus on critical leadership, communication, and teamwork skills.

ESSENTIAL NRP VERSUS ADVANCED NRP

There are two versions of the online portion: Essentials and Advanced. Essentials are for those providers who may have to initiate resuscitation but wouldn’t be involved in a full-resuscitation (ex., OBs, midwives, lactation consultants, EMTs) – Advanced is for RNs, RTs, and pediatricians who would need to fully resuscitate a newborn including intubation, chest compressions, and medications.

The classroom portion is the same for all learners - so the only difference is in the online curriculum they choose to purchase. If you are unsure which version you should take, I recommend the Advanced Provider curriculum since the cost is the same for both.

HEARTSAVER - CPR/FIRST AID/AED (for non-healthcare providers)

Heartsaver courses prepare non-healthcare providers to effectively administer CPR, including using AEDs for adult, child, and infant responses. These courses are typically required for lifeguards, physical trainers, restaurant workers, coaches, and similar groups. In addition to CPR & AED use, the Heartsaver course offers an additional, supplemental First Aid training component, which can be done as a stand-alone course or as an add-on to the CPR & AED training.

Our Heartsaver course covers the following:

Responding to and managing illnesses and injuries in adults, children, and infants.
First aid basics for common first aid emergencies.
How to perform life-saving skills.
How to recognize cardiac arrest and what to do until EMS arrives.