Matthew Green Gets First Artificial Heart in the UK: Artificial Organs Could Prove a Better Option

Commentary | Amidst all of the current American political doom and gloom, some good news comes out of the UK about one Matthew Green. Mr. Green, a 40-year-old man who suffered from end-stage failure in both chambers of his heart, received Britain's first artificial heart in an effort to keep him alive until a suitable donor could be found. Perhaps medical science already has the answer to the heart disease epidemic.

The device is called the "SynCardia Total Artificial Heart®," and can distribute 9.5 liters of blood throughout the human body. The device boasts a 75% success percentage in the United States and Europe. When surgeons installed the device in Mr. Green at Papworth Hospital, near Cambridge, Papworth became the first British hospital to install the device into a person, but only the 66th globally. A total of 900 people already use the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart, until a suitable donor can be found.

Mr. Green's operation took a total of six hours. The closest time-frame given by lead surgeon Dr. Steven Tsui for when the operation was performed is "Early June," but no exact date was given. His artificial heart will be powered by 13.5 lb. (around 7 kilograms) "freedom portable driver," which is worn like a backpack or shoulder-bag. In the report from the Telegraph, the patient reports "feeling fantastic."

Not only is Mr. Green alive, but unlike previous attempts at using an artificial heart, such as the Jarvik-7, he gets to go home. While the Jarvik-7 had its problems, it was a proactive step in the right direction, for the future of mankind. Advancements in science may be hard-won and slow, but those advances continue, nonetheless.

Might medical science be able to someday abandon heart transplants, altogether? As advances in medical technology continue to progress, it's likely to someday see humanity able to abandon the idea of heart transplants. With options like installing an artificial heart, or advances in stem cell research where a new heart could be grown, a person might just be able to one day get an entirely new heart, rather than waiting on a donor.

The organ donation system in the U.S. and other countries has been a life saving process for thousands of people over the years. As good as it is, problems still exist. While the scientific community is working on solving those problems, their energies might be better spent working on new opportunities, such as entirely artificial organs. The development of artificial organs would also eliminate cultural and/or religious objections, as well.

Here in the United States alone, an estimated 26.8 million lives could be saved, were the technology to develop to the point of accessibility for all. While many here decry the pharmaceutical and medical research industry for being profit-oriented, it's those profits which allow the research to continue. Research, development, and testing is not free, or even cheap, and it's a sure bet Matthew Green is happy to receive the benefit of the advances in medical science.