LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The first patient to receive a
self-contained artificial heart remained in stable condition Sunday, six days after the transplant.
Doctors and staff at Jewish Hospital, where the surgery was performed last Monday, were able to rest over the weekend during
what spokeswoman Linda McGinity Jackson called a "quiet period."
The man, who has been described only as a diabetic in his mid- to late-50s with a history of heart attacks, has been alert and
writing notes to family members after being placed on a ventilator Thursday.
In a National Public Radio interview broadcast Saturday, Dr. Robert Dowling said the man is on a blood thinner to prevent clots and might be put on medication for hypertension.
"We couldn't be happier with how he's doing," Dowling said.
The man's condition has been stable since he received the softball-sized titanium and plastic pump.
He was selected for the operation because doctors believed he had an 80 percent chance of dying within 30 days and was ineligible for a natural heart transplant.
Dowling and Dr. Laman A. Gray Jr. implanted the device, known as the AbioCor, along with a small battery and controller to regulate
the beat, so no wires come through the skin.
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2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
