Doctors told him he could live with no heart in his body. 555 days later, we’re gobsmacked. Even the most medically disciplined people know one thing for sure. You need a heart in your body to stay alive. But try to imagine sitting in the doctor’s surgery and being told that actually, this wasn’t strictly true. Well, that’s exactly what happened to the 25-year-old Michigan resident Stan Larkin. Almost a decade ago, after collapsing while playing basketball, Stan was diagnosed with familial cardiomyopathy, which is a genetic disorder, a condition that stretches the heart muscle in a way that prevents efficient blood flow.
Finally, by late 2014
Larkin’s heart was failing and had to be removed. What happened next is one of the most incredible medical stories you’re ever going to hear. Now back to the story. It’s the tale of a man who lived without a heart for a staggering 555 days, and it verges on the unbelievable. After Stan’s collapse, it didn’t take doctors long to realize what was wrong shortly after his diagnosis.
In fact, it was also discovered that his younger brother
Dominic, was suffering from the same problem. Dr. Jonathan Haft, a University of Michigan surgeon who’s performed operations on both brothers, told CNN that familiar cardiomyopathy is an awful condition to have, and it didn’t take long for it to manifest in some pretty alarming ways.
He was dying of shock. His heart was not pumping enough blood around in his circulation to maintain the health of all of his vital organs. And without urgent intervention, he would not have survived.
The condition is characterized by the muscles in one of the heart’s Chambers stretching
Which impacts the organ’s ability to pump blood. This can lead to arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats and more alarmingly heart failure. This is exactly what happened to the brothers, both of whom also suffered cardiogenic shocks at the tail end of 2014. At this point, it was decided that Stan and Dominic needed new hearts, but there was another step to take first. At any one time. There are around 4000 people in the US in need of a heart transplant.
If they wait for too long, then their other organs may start to fail, which is why a temporary interim solution is needed. It comes in the form of an artificial heart, which both brothers ended up receiving.
We now have a device that allows patients to leave the hospital
So previously, the artificial heart patients had to stay in the hospital and stay in the intensive care unit, waiting for their transplant, sometimes for months and months. But now he’s going to have the opportunity to go home.
Dominic remained a hospital inpatient for six weeks with him until a suitable human donor was found for San. However, things were a little different. San was, according to Dr. Haft, the ideal candidate to test an artificial heart away from the hospital. And so he spent 18 months carrying his artificial heart in a backpack. Everywhere he went without a real one in his chest.
And Stan, you can see how he looked there. That’s on his artificial heart at home. That’s how he looked like a week after his implant.
His temporary heart is called a sincardia, a special device that’s used when both of the heart’s ventricles fail
He’s still listed for a heart transplant. We hope to transplant them as soon as that organ becomes available. But in the meantime, he can be at home and he can be functional and he can continue to rehabilitate himself so that he’s in the best possible fitness. When his opportunity comes.
Doctors found that Larkin was doing extremely well with the artificial heart. He’d been given so much so he could actually leave the hospital and live with no heart inside his body.
In fact, the device, the Freedom Driver, I think, had to be exchanged about ten times while he was at home.
Stan was understandably, pretty surprised about the whole thing.
The only other step they have me be able to live was a total artificial heart. I never knew a person could live without a heart. Personally, I really didn’t want to agree to the surgery. It took me at least two weeks to say yes.
And that machine is nothing short of incredible. A 13-pound device called the Freedom Driver. This artificial heart connected to Larkin’s body by several tubes and fit into a backpack that he could take with him anywhere. Even on the basketball court where Larkin continued to play.
We used the artificial heart as a mechanical pump to bridge him to heart transplantation
The artificial heart didn’t actually hinder stand too much. He wasn’t bedridden, nor was he forced to drastically change his lifestyle.
It allows the patient to go home. Maybe he’ll be home for a week. Maybe he’ll be home for six months. We don’t know. While he’s at home, I think he’s going to get stronger, more independent, more functional.
It helped that throughout the 18 month period, Stan maintained a wonderfully positive attitude. Stan played pick-up basketball with his life, preserving his backpack on, hung out with his kids, and rode in cars with his friends.
After that, I became very healthy again. I lived a normal life. I made myself play basketball. I played basketball on the device.
Dr. Half told the University of Michigan health system
And he just really thrived on the device that wasn’t built for pickup basketball, and so he really pushed the envelope. At least as far as what the company’s intentions were.
With this technology, all that the patient couldn’t do was give piggyback rides to his children. Stan’s situation was embraced by his family, Mantilla McCrae. His mom regularly bandaged the holes where the tubes entered his body. We had to be careful so that he wouldn’t get an infection, she told CNN. After 555 days with the artificial heart, Stan finally received a transplant from a human donor thanks to the success of the Cincardia device, which allowed him to live as normal a life as possible while waiting. His recovery has been faster than normal.
Stan said he hoped his experience would help others in similar situations come back to normal again.
I don’t get to carry any extra backpacks. I like to encourage people to be donated. We can donate. It’s very helpful. Save someone’s life. One day.
David J. Pinsky, a director of the University of Michigan’s. Frankly Cardiovascular Center called Stan and Dominic heroes.
I first want to say on behalf of all of us, Stan and Dominique, you’re heroes to all of us. The fact that you actually take your story public and you allow us to teach others makes a difference. You’ll make a difference for a lot of patients. As we heard from Dr. Haf, you make a difference for the doctors of the future. And we thank you for allowing us to share your story and for your bravery in sharing it.