Status and Availability of a Total Artificial Heart

Few destinct total artificial hearts have been clinically implanted in humans, and most devices mimic the native heart artificial hearts have been clinically implanted in humans, and most devices mimic the native heart through a pulsatile positive-displacement pump. The success of these devices has been hampered by excessive complication rates, cumbersome size, and limited durability. Although a departure from normal physiology, continuous-flow devices allow for greater mechanical reliability, smaller size, better efficiency, reduced shear stress, and improved autonomous pulmonary-systemic blood flow balance compared to pulsatile devices. Although no such device is currently in clinical use, continuous-flow TAHs currently in development are showing promise for patients with severe biventricular failure.