Robert Tools, 59, the world’s first recipient of a self-contained artificial heart and Tom Christenson, 70, the second recipient of the same are making steady progress, according to surgeons Laman Gray Jr and Robert Dowling at Jewish Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Robert Tolls received the AbioCor titanium and plastic heart on July 2, 2001. He chose to undergo the highly experimental operation after he had been deemed too ill to receive a heart transplant for his chronic heart failure and was told he had just a month to live. His recovery was marked by ups and downs, including episodes of internal bleeding and infection, but at the end of September, his liver and kidney functions had improved and in fact he has been able to take walks in a park on a few occasions. Although there was the worry of electrical interference with his heart, the AbioCor proved to be unaffected by broadcast signals or other interference. Is tools gains strength he could become a candidate for a heart transplant in 6 months, although the surgeons had originally only hoped to double his survival time.

            Tom Christenson received his implant on September 13, 2001 and was removed from the ventilator within a day. He did have a drainage tube inserted in his chest to remove some internal bleeding that was probably related to the use of anticoagulants.

            Neither patient has suffered the blood clothing that doomed recipients of earlier artificial hearts.

            A biomed Inc, of Danvers, MA, USA, makers of the AbioCor heart is encouraged by the results. The AbioCor is the first major advance in the development of an artificial replacement of an artificial replacement heart in nearly 2 decades. It has no outside wires and runs by a short term 30 minute battery implanted in the abdomen and an outside power source that passes power through the skin. Am implanted control device adjusts the heartbeat.