Doctors: Artificial heart patient could be released soon

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (CNN) -- A doctor for a man who received a totally contained artificial heart said Thursday the patient is doing very well just a month after his revolutionary surgery and could be released "relatively soon."

Dr. Robert Dowling of Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, said the release could be "probably within a month's time."

"But it's going to be up to him. I'm just speculating now ... but I think at least a couple of weeks, maybe a little bit longer," said Dowling in an interview with CNN.

EXTRA INFORMATION Explainer: See a diagram of how the heart is implanted and powered  Timeline: What research led to the implantation of the artificial heart?    KEY FACTS: What is it? The AbioCor is a totally implantable artificial heart made of titanium and plastic. It weighs about 2 pounds. What does it do? The device pumps blood through the heart to the lungs and the rest of the body, simulating a living heartbeat. Who is it for? The AbioCor is designed for heart failure patients who have failed all existing therapies. If it is successful, about 100,000 patients a year could benefit. What does it cost? The AbioCor is estimated to cost about $70,000. Why is it important? Manufacturer Abiomed says AbioCor could be a viable alternative for patients with no other options. It could give them more freedom of movement, because they would not need to be tethered to large machines the way recipients of the first artificial heart were. It could also reduce the risk of infection because it is completely implanted -- no wires or tubes stick out of the patient's body.

"He's anxious to get out and show the world that he's just a normal guy that kind of had a bad set of circumstances fall on him and how he was able to deal with that. I think he wants to get a little stronger and feel more confident," Dowling said. "But I think [he'll be released] relatively soon."

Dowling said the man, who lives in the United States, is "doing wonderful" and is gaining his strength. "He's able to get up and move around," he said. "We're just very pleased with his progress."

The man's identity has not been released, but doctors said he is in his mid- to late 50s. The man was gravely ill when he came into the hospital, making him eligible for the experimental surgery, according to physicians. He had been turned down by a heart transplant center and was suffering from renal failure and diabetes. Doctors have said the man had an 80 percent chance of dying within 30 days had he not had the surgery.

"When we first had him he was very aware of his limited survival of his own mortality, and I think every day that he has he views as a blessing," Dowling said. "We had a video conference with some of the other surgeons and nurses that are involved in the project, and his one message to them was 'Life is wonderful.'"

Dowling, who said the man's true personality is emerging as he gets stronger, said the patient is "just full of life and he's a very clever, witty, a little bit of a prankster. So it's been fun."

"He's just happy to be here with us and happy to be able to breathe without any effort and get up and so forth," Dowling said.

The new heart is revolutionary in that former artificial hearts had to be powered by external controllers, often weighing as much as 300 pounds.

The new heart, developed by AbioMed of Danvers, Massachusetts, was sewn inside the patient's body along with a battery pack and controller, and has no tubes or wires extending outside his chest.

The implanted battery pack is for short-term use. Doctors said the heart normally is powered by a unit that is "plugged into the wall" and transmits an electrical current through the skin.

The doctors, nurses and other works at Jewish Hospital at the University of Louisville are keeping the patient "busy," Dowling said.

"We have a physical therapist coming to see him and the nurses are exercising him," he said. "Sometimes he just goes and hangs out at the nurses' station and interacts with all the doctors, the lung doctors, the kidney doctors, everyone that's coming by. Sometimes he just listens to his CDs or watches a videotape."