Hell No. How can that be possible?
Well, it is possible. Let me introduce you to the 1st man to live without Heart - Craig Lewis.
Craig Lewis, 55, was diagnosed with 'Amyloidosis'. Amyloidosis is a rare protein related autoimmune disease. The victim's internal organs will be filled with protein and due to viscous nature of accumulation organs like heart, liver, lungs, etc will fail.
When admitted to Texas Heart Institute in march 2011, the chances for him to survive is too minimal. Almost not possible. But Dr. Billy Cohn and Dr. Bud Frazier made the impossible, possible.
(Dr. Billy Cohn, right and Dr. Bud Frazier, left)
Cohn, veteran surgeon-inventor-researcher, have developed a device (along with Frazier) that will help continuous flow of blood throughout the body. Thus the work what heart does, pumping blood will be taken care of this device. This device will facilitate flow of blood without pulse.
The above two surgically removed the affected heart of Lewis and replaced it with their device (the procedure took less than 48 hours). It worked !!
Lewis was alive to see the next sunrise :)
Unfortunately he was not lucky enough. His other vital organs like lungs, kidneys, etc began to stop functioning and unable to bear his suffering his family requested for Euthanasia. After few months of being alive without pulse, the device was removed from Lewis.
Notably, the end of Lewis was not due to his failed heart or replaced device. So there it is possible to live without heart. Cohn stated that he believe it will work for long term too.
This is not the only device that Cohn has created. He is a great innovator in this field. To know more about him, you can click here .
