Artificial Heart Patient Showing Improvement

Artificial heart patient Betty Shields, 40, continued to show improvement Sunday and remained in critical but stable condition after surgery Friday to relieve pressure that was restricting blood flow to the mini-Jarvik device, a University Medical Center spokeswoman said.

Doctors said Shields’ kidney function has improved since the surgery Wednesday and they are hopeful that her lung function will improve. She is the third person to receive a mechanical pump at the center and the 29th person worldwide.