Expansionary Institute

Michael Zey
futurist3000@aol.com

By Dug Begley

 
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug 21 (Reuters) - Robert Tools, the world's first recipient of a self-contained mechanical heart, said on Tuesday the biggest adjustment had been having a "whirring sound" in his chest rather than a heartbeat.

The sound took some getting used to, the 59-year-old patient said in his first public remarks since undergoing the ground-breaking surgery on July 2.

"The biggest thing is getting used to not having a heartbeat -- I have a whirring sound. And that makes me realize that I'm alive because I can hear it without a stethoscope," Tools told reporters in a video link from his surgeons' office at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

"It feels great," said Tools. "I realize that death is inevitable. But I also realize that if there is an opportunity to extend (life), you take it."

Tools' recovery has not been plain sailing in the 50 days since he received the heart. Last week, he contracted a lung  infection and was placed back on a ventilator. He appeared to be short of breath during the news conference.

Tools, whose identity was kept secret until Tuesday, said he had wanted to protect the privacy of his family. But he decided to come forward "to take away all the mystery of it."

Before the surgery, Tools, a diabetic, had an 80 percent chance of dying within 30 days. He said that made the decision to have the experimental heart implanted very easy.

"I had a choice. I could sit at home and die or come here and take a chance. I decided to come here and take a chance."

JOY OF WAKING AFTER SURGERY

He told reporters his first thoughts after the surgery were: "I was happy to wake up and see people -- to know that I got that far."

Dr. Robert Dowling, one of the physicians who implanted the device, said in an interview Tools' progress "bodes well for the next patient", although the next patient had yet to be identified.

Dowling said if all went well Tools may be able to return to his home in Franklin, Kentucky, where he enjoys bass fishing and jazz.

Tools, who is married with two children, spent most of his adult life in Colorado but moved to Franklin to be considered for a heart transplant. Because of his other health problems, he was deemed not eligible for a human heart.

The artificial device has four components: The heart that pumps the blood, a controller that tells the heart how much blood to pump and how fast, an internal battery and a coil that receives energy across the skin and transmits it to the heart.

Combined, those components weigh about four pounds (1.7 kg), about four times the weight of a normal heart, Dowling said.

Tools said the device "feels a little heavier than my old heart".

Dowling said Tools would have different sensations than with his normal heart", but: "I think it's nothing he would complain of."

The doctor said Tools, looking tall and lanky, needed to gain at least 30 pounds (13 kg), and preferably about 50 pounds (22 kg). "As he gains weight, he'll forget about it," he said.

Before he can return home, Tools must gain weight, undergo physical therapy and become fully adept at maintaining the device, which is powered by an external battery pack.

If he wants to leave home, he must carry batteries with him, each of which holds a charge for about 30 minutes. He can also plug the device into an electrical outlet but he will need to have his home equipped with a generator and surge protectors. "There are a lot of fail-safes," Dowling said.

TOOLS NEEDS TO BUILD STRENGTH

"The goal is to get him stronger," the doctor said. "I think when he gets his strength, the device will allow him go fishing and on walks."

Dowling said UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles was very close to being fully ready to do an implant.

"They've finished the appropriate training of doctors, nurses and ancillary staff and they're completing the institutional review board so the study meets the ethical criteria," he said. "My guess is they will shortly be looking for a patient."

David Lederman, chairman and chief executive officer of    Abiomed Inc. of Danvers, Massachusetts, the company that made the device, said it was encouraged by Tools' progress.

"It is too early to claim success, but we are today more confident than ever that we will succeed," he said in a statement.

Earlier, the company had said it would consider the trial a success if the device doubled the patient's life expectancy, which in Tools' case would be 60 days.

Federal regulators have approved the procedure for an additional four patients. Five medical centers, including Jewish Hospital, have been approved for the procedures.

18:50 08-21-01

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