2007-09-16 02:09:15 · 6 answers · asked by dib 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
They were created as an interim measure for those who's diseased hearts were too far gone, and a replacement heart wasn't available.
2007-09-16 02:22:11 · answer #1 · answered by sirtanaka 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Fresh" human hearts are used every day when a good match is found. However, not enough people sign their donor cards so an alternative needs to be found. I'm not aware that a viable artificial heart has been invented that is being used as the "norm".
2007-09-16 09:18:27 · answer #2 · answered by Lucy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Several reasons.
1- real hearts are hard to find, and not always a good match
2- grafting requires the receiver to take immune system defeating drugs the rest of their lives, and that means they are in essence more prone to infection
3- to get a heart means somebody had to die; and medicine is working hard to keep the number of potential donors low by trying to keep them healthy, or save the life of critically injured people
4- the replacement heart may also have still undetected diseases, or may become affected by the same condition that made the original one fail
There are two avenues that go around those problems: one is growing up replacement organic heart in a lab, by cloning cells from the patient. The downside of this is that one needs the time to grow it, and if the patient is on the brink of death... The other is making mechanical heart, with the problem of it requiring some external power source.
But even if heart transplant from a donor is considered a valid approach, mechanical heart may still be required just to keep the patient alive until a compatible organ is obtained in some cases.
2007-09-16 09:27:30 · answer #3 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because the human body will try to reject other living tissue. To do a heart transplant, you have to match up blood type and take all sorts of anti-rejection drugs, which leave you vulnerable to other complications and infections.
Also, donated organs are used, while artificial hearts are brand new. The warranty is better with a man made heart.
2007-09-16 09:20:02 · answer #4 · answered by righteousjohnson 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because human hearts are not easy to come by, and not everyone is willing to donate their heart. You forget that we need this to survive.
2007-09-16 09:14:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most people are using their hearts and loathe to give them away until they're through with them, and by then they're normally not good for much of anything.
2007-09-16 13:07:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋