El hombre que vivió 17 meses con un corazón artificial en la mochila

El hombre que vivió 17 meses con un corazón artificial en la mochila
Sin órgano y con uno trasplantado a la espalda, con una tecnología pionera en Estados Unidos, Stan Larkin ha superado su miocardiopatía


Stan Larkin, de 25 años ABC_conocerWashington - 08/06/2016 a las 18:37:10h. - Act. a las 19:21:22h.Guardado en: Sociedad - Temas: Trasplantes , Cardiología
En diciembre de 2014, el corazón de Stan Larkin no daba para más. Él y su hermano habían sido diagnosticados de miocardiopatía dilatada familiar, una enfermedad que va produciendo insuficiencia cardiaca de manera gradual, lenta e irreversible. Y conseguir el trasplante del órgano adecuado no es sencillo.
Los médicos le extirparon el corazón y lo engancharon a la máquina que, durante los próximos 17 meses, iba a bombear sangre por él. Cuando se detecta un problema de salud grave y es necesario un trasplante, el mayor obstáculo para la recuperación es la espera: mientras llega un órgano de un donante compatible, el paciente puede pasar días, semanas o incluso meses viendo cómo su salud se deteriora. La tecnología fue una aliada en el caso del estadounidense Stan Larkin, de 25 años, quien llevaba 17 meses viviendo con un corazón artificial externo que le ha permitido seguir con vida hasta el momento de recibir su órgano trasplantado. Esta hazaña ha sido posible gracias al avanzado dispositivo Syncardia Freedom Portable Driver, que el paciente debe llevar a todas partes en una mochila. Se trata de un impresionante dispositivo que pesa unos 6 kilogramos y que funciona como sustituto del corazón desde fuera del cuerpo.
Su caso ha causado expectación en Estados Unidos, donde más de 121.000 personas llenan las listas de espera de trasplantes y donde aproximadamente 22 personas mueren cada día por falta de órganos para salvarse.

En el caso de Stanh Larkin, también su hermano mayor había sido diagnosticado desde adolescentes con un tipo de cardiomiopatía, una condición que va provocando progresivamente fallos cardiacos. El otro Larkin también tuvo que depender de un corazón artificial, pero su tiempo de espera fue menor y recibió el órgano donado ya el pasado año 2015.
Es fácil entender, por tanto, el entusiasmo de la comunidad científica por los detalles de este caso. Jonathan Haft, profesor asociado en la Universidad de Michigan y cirujano cardiaco, fue el responsable de realizar las dos operaciones necesarias para Stan Larkin. Asegura que los médicos sabían de la importancia de conseguir un trasplante cardiaco, pero había demasiado miedo a que éste no llegara a tiempo. Por tanto, se decidió al final apostar por el corazón artificial externo, que ha resultado ser todo un éxito.
Este tipo de tecnología podría abrir las puertas a muchos avances en el futuro, que garantizarían la supervivencia de miles de pacientes mientras esperan la solución definitiva a sus problemas: la ansiada llegada del órgano para un trasplante.
Los médicos se sienten entusiasmados con esta idea y también han agradecido a Stan Labrik que haya dado a conocer su caso para concienciar sobre la importancia de la donación de órganos para salvar vidas.

http://www.abc.es/sociedad/abci-hombre-vivio-17-meses-corazon-artificial-mochila-201606081837_noticia.html

Meet Stan Larkin, the 25-Year-Old Who Lived Without A Human Heart For 555 Days!


USA Today

• By Krissy Howard via FanBread
  
• |
  
• June 12, 2016
  

From Switch Media
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Did you ever think it would be possible for a person to walk around without a human heart keeping them alive? Well, one man did just that, for almost a year and a half! 
Stan Larkin, 25, made Michigan history when he became the first person in the state to be fitted with an artificial heart designed to fit inside of a backpack! Because the pack could be worn around, the device allowed Larkin to walk out of the hospital without a human heart, rather than wait for months or even years confined to a hospital bed until a donor might become available. 
He was living with the artificial for over a year, and now he has a heart to call his own.
Larkin was diagnosed with a heart condition as a teen, and has been fighting to stay alive ever since. In December of 2014, his heart finally had to be removed, but a donor heart just wasn't available for transplant at the time. 

While the timing seemed to be working against Larkin, Dr. Jonathan Haft and his medical team had some newer technology in mind, and felt the young man could be a perfect candidate to try it out. 

Source: Mr. Grady (http://mrgrady7787.blogspot.co...)
Called the SynCardia Freedom Portable Driver, the device spared Larkin from the confines of the hospital while he waited for his donor heart to become available. Weighing 13 pounds, the pack used a set of tubes to deliver air to the body, allowing blood to flow, and keeping Larkin alive. 
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Despite the fact that the backpack, which needed to be worn at all times, limited him from doing certain things, like picking up his daughters for piggy back rides, Larkin made sure the pack didn't wear him, and surprised doctors by eventually becoming strong enough to wear it on the court! 
"This wasn't made for pick-up basketball," Dr. Haft said in a news conference. "Stan pushed the envelope with this technology...he really thrived on the device."

Source: U of Michigan Health (http://www.med.umich.edu/CIC/2...)
After relying on the artificial heart device for over a year, 555 days to be exact, a donated organ finally became available, and the team at University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center successfully completed a full heart transplant back in May, 2016.
With his new heart intact, Larkin's "emotional rollercoaster" of a story ends on a good note, and the young man is feeling as good as ever. 
"I feel like I could take a jog as we speak," he said in a recent press conference. "I want to thank the donor who gave themselves for me. I'd like to meet their family one day. Hopefully they'd want to meet me."
Stan isn't the only person in his family to have his life saved by the SynCardia machine - his younger brother Dominique also relied on one until his transplant could be performed. Luckily for him, a donor organ was available almost right away, and he only had to wait a few weeks for his full transplant to take place. 


Source: Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sci...)
Stories like this serve as a great reminder to make our health a priority! The condition both brothers were diagnosed with runs in the family, so if your relatives have a history of heart conditions, make sure you stay healthy and get yourself checked out! 

Congratulations Stan, and big thanks to the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center! If you're interested in saving a life, visit organdonor.gov to learn more about the organ donation process. 
To learn more about Stan's incredible story, check out the video below!



This post was originally published on Switch Media


Read more: http://dailytoa.st/blogs/meet-stan-larkin-the-25-year-old-who-lived-without-a-human-heart-for-555-days#ixzz4BPEMfhMg