Mechanical Heart Patient on Dialysis

The latest recipient of an artificial heart has gone on kidney dialysis, postponing surgery to give him a new human heart for more than a week, doctors said Wednesday.

Robert F. Cresswell, 48, gained 20 pounds of fluid since the implant Monday of the Penn State heart, Dr. G. Victor Rohrer of Hershey Medical Center said. “He underwent two sessions of renal dialysis . . . which removed a good deal of fluid from his body,” Rohrer said.