By Cara Miller
Arizona Daily Wildcat
One of the most recent recipients of an artificial heart received a human heart transplant this weekend.
The 44-year-old man was kept alive for 16 days on the CardioWest total artificial heart while waiting for a human heart donor. He was the fourth person to receive the CardioWest and the 14th artificial heart patient at University Medical Center.
The identity of the patient, a Phoenix resident, is being withheld at the family's request.
The operation was led by Gulshan K. Sethi, a UMC cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon.
"The operation went beautifully," Sethi said. "He was awake Sunday night and sat in his chair for three hours yesterday morning reading the newspaper. He is doing great."
The surgery was performed Sunday and the patient was moved out of the intensive care unit yesterday.
She said the average hospital stay for heart transplant patients is two weeks.
The three previous recipients of the CardioWest device Ä Sharoyn Loughran of Scottsdale, Gaylord Booth of Phoenix, and Wallace Kay Jr. of Moapa, Nev. Ä all are doing well and living at home.
The 45-year-old Phoenix man who received a CardioWest heart at the same time as this weekend's patient remains on the artificial heart at UMC waiting for a suitable human donor heart. His identity is also being withheld.