The Concerted Action 'Heart' European registry on clinical application of mechanical circulatory support systems: bridge to transplant. The Registry Scientific Committee.

Objective: The goal of this paper is to identify in the field of mechanical support as bridge to transplant, by statistical analysis, variables influencing survival during support (transplanted patients) and the overall survival (discharged after transplant).

Methods: Clinical factors are analysed in 258 patients in the period 1986-1993. All variables were analyzed by a univariate and multivariate analysis.

The Italian Artificial Heart Program.

In Italy, artificial heart development was promoted by virtue of a special program on technological and industrial development in areas related to cardiology and cardiosurgery. A first prototype series of electromechanical total artificial hearts (TAHs) and ventricular assist devices (VADs), with ball-screw-based actuation technology, has been developed, and preliminary bench tests and short-term animal implant experiments were performed. The project started with analysis and development of existing TAH and VAD models, and it included a fill-sensor-free control scheme and anatomical fitting studies using a three-dimensional computer model of the chest cavity.