Endocrinology"Half Man, Half Machine" Enjoys 17 Months Of Quality Life Prior To Heart Transplant
For a year and a half, Andrzej Bielak lived as a self-described "half man, half machine." Everywhere he went, he was accompanied by the "beautiful ticking" of the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart that kept him alive.
"You can have a good life with the Total Artificial Heart," said Bielak. "You need the help of your family of course, but the difference between living with a Total Artificial Heart and a human heart is less than you would expect."
In 2006, Bielak suffered a heart attack that left his heart muscle severely damaged. Doctors told him that if he didn"t get a heart transplant, he would have only months to live. Bielak slipped into a coma for 12 weeks and no donor heart became available. To save his life, on Nov. 20, 2006, doctors decided to implant the Total Artificial Heart.
Over the next month, Bielak"s health improved dramatically. On Dec. 22, he was discharged from the Heart & Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, using a portable driver to power his Artificial Heart. He returned home to Backnang, Germany, to wait for his matching donor heart with his family and friends.
"Living with the Total Artificial Heart and the portable driver helped me enjoy an independent, high-quality life," said Bielak. "I was able to return to work, go on walks, do housework, go shopping, play darts and attend birthday parties."
On May 20, 2008, the hospital notified Bielak that a potential donor heart had been found. The next day, Bielak received the heart transplant he had been waiting 18 months for. Three days later, Bielak awoke to see his wife of 23 years sitting on his bed, holding his hand. "It was the most beautiful moment of my life," Bielak said.
Normally, the recovery time for heart transplant patients is five weeks. However, just three weeks after his transplant, Bielak was released from the hospital to return home with his new heart.
"Today, I live a smooth life," said Bielak. "My first priority in life is my family now. I speak with many people about my story, about living with the Total Artificial Heart and about the need for donor hearts."
The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart