Heart Transplants Enrichment LESSON 2

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Date
Enrichment
Class
LESSON 2
Heart Transplants
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The first heart transplant was done in
1967. It involved replacing a diseased heart
with a healthy heart from a recently
deceased donor. The surgery was a success.
However, the patient died soon afterward
from complications related to postsurgery
medication. A heart transplant is a major
operation and thus carries many risks.
Although the safety of the procedure has
improved dramatically, it is usually the last
option for a patient.
The Mayo Clinic tells its patients,
“When you have heart failure, your heart
is still working but not as efficiently as it
should. A weakened or damaged heart isn’t
able to pump enough blood to keep up
with your body’s needs. A heart transplant
can be a lifesaving option when other
treatments fail.”
Statistics on Heart Transplants
Each year, about 2,000 heart transplants
are performed in the United States. The
survival rate for patients who receive heart
transplants is high—about 87 percent of
men and 86 percent of women are still
living one year after surgery.
Although chances of surviving the
surgery are high, chances of getting a heart
are low. The Mayo Clinic estimates that
“on any given day, about 4,000 people
are waiting for a heart transplant in the
United States. Unfortunately, there aren’t
enough hearts for every person in need,
and some people may die while waiting
for a transplant.”
Artificial Hearts
To help those who desperately need
heart transplants, researchers around the
world are working to develop artificial
hearts. Some patients have already received
partial artificial hearts that keep them alive
until they can undergo surgery for human
heart transplants.
In 2008, a research team in France
announced that it had created a
prototype of a fully artificial heart that
beats with the same rhythm as a human
heart. The prototype, which is shaped
like a human heart and runs on batteries,
uses sensors to control blood flow and
heart rate. It also uses animal tissue to
help prevent the patient’s body from
rejecting the heart—a major problem
with artificial organs. If all goes well, the
artificial heart will greatly reduce the
need for donors.
Applying Critical-Thinking Skills
Directions: Respond to each statement.
1. Chances of surviving a heart transplant are good. State two reasons why more people
don’t receive heart transplants.
2. Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of using artificial hearts.
Respiration and Circulation
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