Heart Recipient Haydon Suffers Stroke; Swedish Patient Ailing

Artificial heart patient Murray P. Haydon suffered a stroke Monday night but soon began regaining movement on his left side and was alert, doctors said Tuesday.

A Swede who received an artificial heart may also have suffered a stroke, which would mean the problem has struck the three surviving patients among the world’s five implant recipients, said Dr. William C. DeVries, the leading implant surgeon.

“That means it’s a common complication of the procedure,” DeVries said. “The high incidence of patients having a stroke indicates we have a problem.”

In Critical Condition

Haydon remained in critical condition in the coronary care unit of Humana Hospital Audubon on his 108th day with the plastic and metal device.

Haydon, 58, who received the heart last February, had “dramatically improved” by Tuesday afternoon and was able to speak and move, said Dr. Gary Fox, a neurologist. Fox called the former auto worker “95% to 98% recovered.”