The total artificial heart: indications and preliminary results.

The development of the total artificial heart (TAH) has reached a level where it is now available for clinical applications. The TAH has demonstrated distinct advantages over other forms of mechanical circulatory assistance. As of December 1, 50 TAHs have been implanted: 5 as permanent devices, and 45 as a temporary mechanical bridge to cardiac transplantation. The use of the TAH has increased in the last several months, leading to a growing interest in defining the indications and contraindications to its use. End-stage cardiomyopathy (either idiopathic, ischemic, viral, or postpartum) has been the underlying disease in 80% of the TAH procedures to date. The TAH has also been applied in 5 cases of acute cardiac graft rejection, 2 cases of congenital heart diseases, and in one case after acute myocardial infarction. The indications for the use of the TAH in these and other potential patient groups is discussed in light of the current clinical results.