June 9, 2016.
A 24-year-old American student resumed his studies at the end of 2014 after a heart transplant. Particularity: a totally artificial heart was transplanted to him … which saved his life for 1 year and a half.
Freedom Driver, a portable autonomous artificial heart
It was in 2014 that Stan Larkin had to be transplanted urgently. His heart couldn’t stand, because of his cardiomyopathy. But for lack of a compatible graft available, it was then decided to implant the Syncardia Freedom Portable Driver.
At 24 years old, his body accepted the heart transplant, and he was very quickly able to return home, and even, to study! In the photo above, taken from a video published by the University of Michigan where the artificial heart was implanted in him, we even see him … playing basketball.
The artificial heart saved his life
What was to be only transitory, the time to find him a compatible heart, in the end lasted 17 months. 17 months during which Stan was able to live, independently, far from the hospital, except for essential care and checks, with his … heart on his back, or next to him. The artificial heart which has been implanted in it indeed requires external equipment, comprising in particular the batteries, weighing 6 kg, and fitting in a backpack.
The University of Michigan hospital waited a few weeks before announcing that the transplant, this time from a human heart, was successful. At the press conference, where his whole story was told, intended to extol the merits of the artificial heart used for 17 months, Stan said: “It was a real emotional lift. I received the transplant two weeks ago and I feel like I could go for a run immediately. I would like to thank my donor. I would like to meet his family one day. J ‘hope they will want to meet me. “
Read also: Why should we talk about organ donation?
