Abstract
Heart failure affects more than 750 000 people in the UK ( British Heart Foundation, 2014 ). For many years, heart transplantation has been the definitive end-stage treatment once medical therapy no longer provides adequate symptom management and acceptable quality of life for people experiencing heart failure. The scarcity of donor organs means heart transplantation is not always immediately available so, for those patients with biventricular failure, the options for improving quality and longevity of life are limited. However, an alternative is now available in the form of the total artificial heart (TAH). This article provides an understanding of the history and available models of the TAH, the recipient selection criteria and how TAHs actually function. As the only TAH currently commercially in use in the UK, Australia and the USA, the implantation and nursing care of the SynCardia TAH recipient in both the intensive care unit and ward setting will then be discussed, with consideration given to discharging patients home with a TAH in situ.
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