Morphologic alterations in sheep after implantation of the Akutsu total artificial heart.

The present report describes morphologic alterations produced in sheep after implantation of a four-chambered total artificial heart. Two groups of sheep were studied. The first group was given no special antishock therapy and had an average survival time of 25.8 hours. Major morphologic changes produced in the first group were focal infarction and massive hemorrhage of the large and small bowel, ascites, severely altered lungs and multiple infarcts in the kidneys. The second group of sheep was given antishock therapy and showed an average survival time of 35.4 hours. Severe morphologic alterations in this group were generally absent in all organs except the lungs, which showed varying degrees of congestion, hemorrhage, edema, pneumonitis and atelectasis. Death in both of the above groups was due to development of irreversible hypotension and respiratory failure.