The Jarvik-7 Artificial Heart Is Implanted
Surgeons implanted a Jarvik-7 artificial heart in Barney Clark in Utah on December 2, 1982.
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The Event
Surgeons implanted a Jarvik-7 artificial heart in Barney Clark in Utah on December 2, 1982. The procedure was intended as permanent replacement rather than a short bridge to transplantation.
The Wider Story
The operation required an external support system and intensive continuing care. It attracted attention to the possibilities and limits of mechanical circulatory support.
Putting the Event in Perspective
Clark's survival did not make the treatment a simple cure.
Reading the Historical Record
A respectful account distinguishes the experimental milestone from later devices and protects the patient's dignity.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: a 1982 hospital exterior and a generic medical-device display, no operation or patient close-up. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
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