The Total Artificial Heart
FROM THE EDITOR | Mary Loftus
Andrew with his family dog
Andrew with his family dog
Heart of the Matter
Innovative medical devices and procedures are just unrealized potential until a patient, driven by hope, steps up to take the risk. In this case, that patient is 19-year-old Andrew Miles of Savannah, Ga., who was born with aortic stenosis—a narrowing of the aortic valve that restricts blood flow and can lead to heart failure.
At 12, Andrew suffered a cardiac arrest while playing soccer in his front yard. He recovered and went on to graduate high school with his friends. But feelings of exhaustion and illness signaled his heart was failing. A heart transplant wasn’t an immediate option due to the complexity of his condition.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Mani Daneshmand, director of heart and lung transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Emory University Hospital, believed a procedure he devised, in which two LVAD pumps are implanted together and take over for the left and right ventricles, could extend Andrew’s life.
Andrew not only survived the operation, but he is now the second person in the US to live outside a hospital with this type of total artificial heart. In fact, if you scroll back up to the top of this article, you can take a look at the device inside Andrew’s chest. This is a striking example of what happens when biomedical innovation meets courage.
To see Andrew talk about his health journey, watch the video below, produced by members of the Emory Health Sciences communications team (Audra Mincey, Damon Meharg, and Lindsay Castleberry). And for more articles about heart health recoveries, discoveries, tips, and tech, keep scrolling.
Let’s Talk Heart Health
Tracking Healthy Habits
A remote cardiac rehab program can help patients with risk factors improve their heart health by tracking exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes.
Hotwiring the Heart
A novel, electricity-based technique was developed by Emory physicians at the Structural Heart and Valve Center to help a patient who was out of options.
HALTing Heart Rejection
Monica McFarlan became the first person to have a heart after liver transplant (HALT) at Emory. Her new liver absorbs antibodies and helps her body not reject her new heart.
A Double Win
Tennis partners Roger Cox and William Jordan—whose heart stopped after he collapsed during a match—share their individual journeys to bypass surgery.
HEART HEALTH TIP
How a one-time blood test can help you determine if you are at a higher risk for heart disease
Emory cardiologists suggest that adults get a Lipoprotein (a) test at least once in their life to determine if they’re at a higher risk for heart disease based on their genetics. Lipoprotein (a) is a type of cholesterol and a natural component used to transport fats, but levels vary significantly between individuals based on genetics and, if elevated, can lead to a heart attack or stroke with no warnings. The blood test can be given through a person’s primary care physician but isn’t often included in a standard blood panel. It is highly recommended for people who have a history of heart disease and stroke in their family. If elevated levels are detected, consult a cardiologist to take preventative measures.
Emory expert: Anurag Mehta, MD, board-certified cardiologist with expertise in preventive cardiology, lipid disorders including lipoprotein(a).
Tracking Smart Heart Habits
Patients who have experienced a heart attack, or who are at risk of one, are benefiting from an innovative, smartphone-based cardiac rehabilitation program at the VA Atlanta Healthcare System.
Pioneered by Emory epidemiologist Amit Shah and colleagues, Smart HEART (short for health, educational, and rehab tech) is a comprehensive intervention for remote cardiac rehabilitation, with the option of using an app with home-based exercise training and counseling.
“The technology is a really important component,” Shah says. “Participants find that the reminders are useful; they like tracking themselves, and there is more accountability.”
Hotwiring the Heart
What happens when a heart patient runs out of options? Elberta Jenkins underwent a triple bypass years ago following a heart attack, but two of the four main valves in her heart were failing. She needed another open-heart surgery at 82 but was no longer a candidate due to her age.
So, physicians at the Structural Heart and Valve Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown created a new procedure to successfully treat patients who have no traditional options left. Septal Scoring along the Midline Endocardium (SESAME) involves using an electrified wire at the end of a catheter to make cuts in the heart muscle. The Emory team has now performed 150 of these procedures, and their first patient—Jenkins, now 85—is thriving, walking at least a mile a day and enjoying life.
Emory physicians Patrick Gleason, Adam Greenbaum, and Vasilis Babaliaros (l to r) talk with Elberta Jenkins, whose life was saved through an innovative heart procedure. Photo Jenni Girtman
Emory physicians Patrick Gleason, Adam Greenbaum, and Vasilis Babaliaros (l to r) talk with Elberta Jenkins, whose life was saved through an innovative heart procedure. Photo Jenni Girtman
HALTing Heart Rejection
Monica McFarlan’s family now calls her “M3”—inserting “miracle” in front of her name.
A marathon runner and healthy, active mom, she woke up one morning with a nosebleed and a rattling chest, went to the ER, and was unexpectedly diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
The McFarlan family and close friends pray around Monica’s bedside in the hospital.
The McFarlan family and close friends pray around Monica’s bedside in the hospital.
Monica’s antibody levels were too high for a heart transplant, so her only option was an LVAD (left ventricular assist device), which kept her alive for 15 years. During that time, she suffered a stroke and a heart attack, and eventually her heart began to fail. She was told to prepare for the end of her life. “That was hard,” she said, through tears. “I gathered my family and all my close friends and said my goodbyes.”
Then Monica heard about HALT, a heart after liver transplant. The new liver absorbs the antibodies and helps the body not reject the new heart.
She was the first person to have this procedure at Emory and in Georgia. The operation, which involved both organ transplants, took 16 hours. Watch the video below to hear Monica’s story and learn about the life-saving HALT technique.
Bill Jordan (left) and Roger Cox (right) are tennis partners forever bonded by a life-defining day on the courts. Photo courtesy Roger Cox
Bill Jordan (left) and Roger Cox (right) are tennis partners forever bonded by a life-defining day on the courts. Photo courtesy Roger Cox
A Double Win
William Jordan’s heart stopped on St. Patrick’s Day 2025 after he collapsed on a tennis court near his condo in Florida. Thanks to a nearby player who knew CPR and the quick use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) from the tennis clubhouse, bystanders were able to keep Bill alive until first responders arrived.
Roger Cox, Bill’s tennis partner that day, remembers feeling apprehensive after the experience. He decided to get a cardiac check.
“I told my wife I wanted to get my heart checked out. I don’t want to be the next guy face down on the tennis court.”
Bill and later Roger ended up getting bypass surgery at Emory University Hospital Midtown.
Cardiovascular surgeon John Puskas, who operated on both men, says he and his team enjoyed learning they had cared for tennis teammates and put them back on the path to an active life.
For more of their story, click below.
Head-to-Toe Benefits
The benefits of heart-healthy behaviors extend far beyond the heart—positively impacting brain function, vision, hearing, muscle strength, and even reducing the risk of diseases such as cancer and dementia.
Published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an Emory study synthesized findings from nearly 500 peer-reviewed studies.
“While we recently learned that heart health and brain health are closely tied, in this review we found that almost every organ system and bodily function, from head to toe, benefit from a heart-healthy lifestyle,” says nursing assistant professor Liliana Aguayo, a core faculty member at Emory’s Global Diabetes Research Center who led the study.
The Heart and the Mind
When we say we love someone, we may place our hand over our chest. When someone is full of positivity and kindness, we say they are warmhearted. When we experience grief, we say we are brokenhearted. How did this inherent correlation between the mind and the heart arise, and why do we associate so many traits with one organ? To explore the heart-mind connection, Emory internist Sharon Bergquist, founder and director of Emory Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness and host of The Whole Health Cure podcast, is joined by cardiologist Jonathan Fisher, the well-being and resiliency leader at Novant Health.
IN THE NEWS
What Do Cardiologists Have for Breakfast?
“I love a grits bowl.”
Gina Lundberg, clinical director at Emory Women’s Heart Center and professor of cardiology at Emory School of Medicine.
Breakfast Bowl: “When I have time to cook a healthy breakfast, being a Southern girl, I love a grits bowl,” said Lundberg. “That’s a bowl of grits with a little cheese and garlic as the foundation. Then I cover it with a little more cheese and an egg with a soft center.”
Why It’s Healthy: “Grits come from hominy corn and are very healthy and low calorie,” said Lundberg. “Eggs, in moderation, are healthy, and of course, egg whites are full of protein. I use cheese as a condiment and use it sparingly. I recommend low-fat cheese, such as mozzarella.”
Doctor’s Tip: “I tend to drink a lot of coffee and love the reports that show more and more the benefits of coffee, with antioxidants and other health benefits,” said Lundberg. “When I don’t have time for breakfast, I grab a piece of fruit.”
This is an excerpt from the article Six Cardiologists Share Their Go-To Breakfast, which ran in health.com.
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