Implantation of a Total Artificial Heart

This video shows the case of a twenty-six-year-old mother of four with a history of BRCA 2 gene mutation, breast cancer, bilateral mastectomies, and radiotherapy. The patient developed dilated cardiomyopathy requiring emergency VA ECMO. She was highly sensitized, with cPRA at 95 percent and multiple failed attempts at VA ECMO wean. She underwent implantation of the total artificial heart (TAH) at the University of Washington Medical Center, proctored by Dr. Francisco Arabia of Banner Health/University of Arizona, as a bridge to heart transplant candidacy. Following implantation of the TAH, she had an uneventful recovery, underwent desensitization, and subsequently had a heart transplant.