Artificial Heart Patient Has More Surgery

Jack C. Burcham was taken back into surgery today so doctors could stop excess bleeding caused by the tight fit of his permanent artificial heart, Humana Hospital Audubon officials said.

“Doctors feel it is less of a risk to have additional surgery rather than additional transfusions,” said Linda Broadus, a spokeswoman for Humana.

Doctors had earlier ruled out new surgery to remove the blood when drainage tubes appeared to be siphoning off enough of the blood, which was creating dangerous pressure on Burcham’s lungs in his small chest cavity. But Broadus said a new X-ray showed the blood was not being drained sufficiently.

Dr. William C. DeVries, who led Sunday’s difficult six-hour implant surgery in which Burcham became the fifth person to receive the permanent artificial heart, made the decision to perform the additional surgery, she said.

Dr. Allan M. Lansing said the bleeding probably was caused by strain on suture lines due to the tight fit of the Jarvik-7 heart in Burcham’s chest cavity.