|  | Family Health | Childrens Health

Risks & Benefits of an Artificial Heart for Kids

Children with heart defects sometimes receive artificial hearts while they wait for a transplant. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first temporary artificial heart in 2004, and a permanent artificial heart was approved in 2006. While artificial hearts provide many benefits to children with potentially fatal heart conditions, there are several risks involved as well.

  1. Prolonged Life

    • The main benefit of an implanted artificial heart is a longer life expectancy for children with heart defects and conditions that cause heart failure. Most children receive a temporary artificial heart until they can receive a regular heart transplant, though some children may undergo surgery to implant a permanent artificial heart if they are ineligible for a typical heart transplant. A temporary artificial heart can keep children alive for months longer than they would be expected to live with end-stage heart failure, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

    Cost

    • The total cost of an artificial heart can easily surpass $100,000, including costs for the device, the surgical procedure, and the cost of medical surveillance and care during the recovery period. The cost may be completely or partially covered by medical insurance, and uninsured children can receive financial help for an artificial heart through Medicaid, charities and nonprofit organizations. But often parents, even ones with insurance, are left with a sizable debt as a result of the procedure.

    Bleeding

    • Children who undergo surgery to implant an artificial heart are at risk for serious bleeding during and after the procedure. The surgery to implant the device involves opening up the chest and there are many places that are susceptible to excessive bleeding that could result in the child requiring a blood transfusion.

    Blood Clots

    • Blood clots can develop after the implantation of an artificial heart as part of the body’s natural response to a foreign object inside the chest cavity. Blood clots can block blood vessels that supply vital organs and cause serious complications, including death, if they are not dealt with swiftly. Artificial heart patients take anticlotting medications to prevent dangerous blood clots for the entire time they have a temporary artificial heart.

    Infection

    • As with any surgery, artificial heart patients are at risk of developing infections. With a weakened body after surgery, these infections can cause serious complications and may be fatal in some circumstances. Children who receive artificial hearts are monitored very closely for any signs of infection so that they can receive antibiotics if necessary.

    Malfunction

    • Most artificial hearts perform very well with few complications or malfunctions. As with any mechanical device, artificial hearts can malfunction or fail in some cases, however. The heart may not pump properly or the power that keeps the artificial heart pumping may fail.

Childrens Health - Related Articles