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If you or a loved one has end-stage biventricular heart failure, there’s hope. When a donor heart isn’t an available option, the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH) can provide a new heart without the wait.
Just like a human heart, the SynCardia TAH is pulsatile and consists of two ventricles and four valves that pump blood throughout the body. The TAH is made of a special biocompatible plastic, which offers a high degree of fatigue resistance and strength for long-term durability.
Ventricles
The TAH consists of two artificial ventricles made from biocompatible plastic, which prevents the TAH from being rejected by the body. The ventricles are connected together by Velcro, which allows the surgeon to position the ventricles in the chest based on the patient’s anatomy.
Valves
Each ventricle has two mechanical valves: an inflow valve and an outflow valve. These valves control the direction of blood flow in and out of the ventricle.
Diaphragms
Inside each ventricle is a flexible, balloon-like membrane known as a diaphragm. The diaphragm divides the ventricle into two chambers: a blood chamber, which holds the blood when it enters the ventricle, and an air chamber.
Cannulae & Drivelines
Two tubes called cannulae, which are partially covered in velour to promote healing, connect to the air chambers of the ventricles. The cannulae then exit the body through the abdominal wall and attach to two tubes called drivelines. These drivelines are connected to an external pump known as a driver.
External Driver
The external driver produces pulses of air and vacuum that travel through the drivelines to inflate and deflate the diaphragms within each ventricle, which push blood in and out of the ventricles. The driver runs on batteries and also plugs into a standard electrical outlet.
If you or a loved one is suffering from advanced or end-stage heart failure (NYHA Class III or IV) and your doctor has discussed an immediate or eventual need for a heart transplant, the SynCardia TAH may be an option for you and your doctor to consider.
The TAH is currently approved as a bridge to transplant for people who are:
If you have been told you are not eligible to receive a heart transplant because of age or certain medical conditions, the 70cc TAH is undergoing an FDA clinical trial in the U.S. as destination therapy for patients not eligible to receive a heart transplant. Click here to learn more.
When I woke up from surgery, I felt so good. Ten minutes later, I got up and walked around. My hearing and eyesight were so much better. I could breathe again.
Bob, 50, SynCardia TAH recipient
Similar to receiving a heart transplant, the TAH replaces both lower chambers of your heart (the left and right ventricles) plus the four heart valves, eliminating the symptoms and source of your heart failure. Many doctors and families have described watching patients and loved ones turn from a sickly grey to a healthier pink as the TAH restores blood flow to their bodies and vital organs.
In order to ensure the best outcomes with the SynCardia TAH, it’s important that patients undergo implant surgery promptly so that prolonged low blood flow doesn’t cause permanent damage to vital organs. The day your failing heart is replaced by the TAH is the day your recovery from heart failure can begin.
Read about life with the TAH
