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medpundit |
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Thursday, March 18, 2004A type of artificial heart - a temporary device to keep certain near-death patients alive long enough to receive a heart transplant - moved a step closer to the U.S. market yesterday. A panel of scientific advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 10-1 to recommend FDA approval. There are serious questions about who should get the CardioWest Total Artificial Heart. Though it requires cutting out the bottom half of the heart to implant, advisers concluded it could benefit a small number of patients. "These people are dying who don't have any good alternative," said Dr. Judah Weinberger of Columbia University. The FDA isn't bound by the panel's advice, but usually follows it. The CardioWest total artifical heart is a smaller, lighter version of the original Jarvik. More on the mechanics of artifical hearts, and other heart assistance devices can be found here. posted by Sydney on 3/18/2004 08:22:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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