The success of Barney Clark's surgery was a major milestone in the field of heart surgery and artificial organs. He lived for 112 days with the artificial heart, which was longer than anyone had ever lived with an artificial heart before. Despite some initial complications, he was eventually able to return home and resume a relatively normal life. Despite the challenges, the surgery was a success, and Barney Clark became the first person in the world to receive an artificial heart transplant.Īfter the surgery, Barney Clark remained in the hospital for several months as he recovered and adjusted to his new heart. The surgery lasted for over six hours, and it was a complex and risky procedure.

The surgery to implant the Jarvik-7 took place on December 2, 1982, and it was performed by a team of surgeons led by Dr. It had two chambers, a left and a right, and it pumped blood using air pressure. The Jarvik-7 was made of plastic and metal, and it was designed to work in much the same way as a human heart. Robert Jarvik and his team at the University of Utah.

The artificial heart used in Barney Clark's surgery was called the Jarvik-7, and it was developed by Dr.

As a result, researchers and surgeons began to explore the possibility of using artificial hearts as a way to extend the lives of patients with severe heart disease. His condition had become so severe that he was no longer able to perform even basic tasks, and he was in desperate need of a heart transplant.Īt the time, heart transplant surgeries were still relatively new and risky procedures, and there were not enough donor hearts available to meet the demand. The patient, Barney Clark, was a 61-year-old retired dentist who was suffering from severe heart disease. The first artificial heart transplant took place in 1982 at the University of Utah Medical Center.

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