Comments on: Man Goes Home With "Total Artificial Heart"
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- This is fantastic news with great historical significance; however, I think it is being over shadowed by other trivial news events.
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- This article stated something I just looked up and read that seems very strange. People have been developing artificial hearts for many years but none of them have ever been considered a total heart replacement. I'm not too stupid but I thought that since about 1969 they've been working on a total replacement heart, even if it was powered from outside. I assumed they were to take out the old heart and reconnect a new heart to the aorta and pulmonary veins. Nobody ever bothered to clarify it and I didn't know enough to ask.
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- Charles thank God for everything that He has given you.
God Bless You !!!
Technology has improved so much. Thank God for it. - Reply to this comment
- Way to go Charles you rock. I am so happy for you and your family.
Maybe we can hook up and play some golf?
God bless you my brother. BTW do you still want that 42" color T.V.? hahahaha
OREO - Reply to this comment
- $18000/year is not very expensive given the experimental nature and relative expense of medical care in the US. I'm actually quite shocked its so cheap, its remarkable. To put this in perspective, it costs ~25k-32k/year for multiple sclerosis medication, and this is just 0.365 liters of liquid every year. This is just one of many expensive conditions. To maintain an artificial heart for only 18k a year is remarkable.
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- Thousands of people, young and old, die of congestive heart failure, worldwide, every year. The causes of CHF are numerous, and include lack of blood flow to the heart muscle (heart attack), viral damage, congenital malformations and autoimmune diseases. The Syncardia totally implantable artificial heart (TAH) is implanted when the heart muscle is so severely damaged that medications and other mechanical devices are no longer of benefit, and the patient is on the verge of death. The Syncardia TAH is the only FDA approved device in the US, and in Europe, and is intended as a ?life bridge? until a human heart can be transplanted and the TAH removed. Because human hearts for transplantation exist in extremely short supply, patients are able to survive for months and years with the TAH in place whereas they might otherwise die waiting for a human heart to become available. Medicare and other medical insurance payers ALREADY have approved payments for the TAH and subsequent transplantation of a human heart when it becomes available. The fantastic news in this story is that a lightweight, portable air pump (the driver), which runs the TAH, now permits patients to leave the hospital and live nearly normal, active lives at home, rather than being tethered to the old, 300 pound driver in the hospital. This cost-effective breakthrough will save hospitals, Medicare and other insurance payers tremendous amounts of money since they will no longer bear the expense of maintaining patients in hospital for months and even years. Beyond this benefit, however, is the added value of a tremendously increased quality of life and the provision of hope to these extremely ill individuals.
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- Regardless, who pays for this man's care, it's the right thing to do.
He clearly needed the artificial heart. It's not like you wake up and say gee, I think I will go buy one. I wish him well, 18,000.00 a year sure is "high", but clearly he needs the batteries, or stimulators, and he should have it. I wish him the very best, and a long life. Another thought to ponder, it could be you tomorrow. - Reply to this comment
- This is a fantastic triumph for mankind. It starts with a single patient, and in just a matter of a couple of years, this will be available for many who are awaiting transplant.
Yes, it's expensive, yes it's not foolproof, but it's infinitely better than the alternative.
Best of luck Mr. Okeke. I hope you can get back to a productive, happy life with your family and that we read about your successes again in the coming years. - Reply to this comment
- This is a wonderful story. He is obviously a brave man who has suffered and is a hero. So are the Nurses and Doctors, as I am sure this was not an easy road for 2 years. He looks remarkably fit, just the same.
As we all wonder, who is paying for this, the answer is obvious, the SYSTEM as it is WORKS. So why are we hell bent to destroy it with gov't regulations ?
No other country in the world could do this.
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Do you think the UK buerocrats would have this approved. ?
Are we really want to be SOCIALISTS ? - Reply to this comment
- This is the problem with this health-care law. It does NOT decrease the costs, it just shifts who will be the ones paying for it. So, in the end, you really wont be paying "less" for your health-care, most will end up paying the same. Even if the democrats insist that there are no tax increases, the money has to come from somewhere! What will be cut first? The Military? We need a strong Defensive military, let the world deal with its own problems. Let anyone attack our soil again, and i can promise you they will regret it. So in other words, the money that is going to come from this needs to come from cutting waste and fraud. Doing that is the only way to cut spending without raising taxes or drastically cutting back in services.
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