DETROIT — An Ypsilanti man walked out of University of Michigan Hospital to spend Christmas with his family after having surgery to insert an artificial heart into his chest, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Stan Larkin, 24, received a SynCardia Total Artificial Heart that connected to two tubes in his chest. The device was placed underneath his ribs and then connected to a 13-pound compressor that he carries in his backpack.
Larkin was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia after blacking out from playing basketball when he was 16. ARVD causes irregular heart rhythm and affects both sides of the heart. In almost all cases, the patient needs a heart-supporting device to be kept alive.
Larkin’s surgery was in November.
