A heart pump device the size of an AA battery could help children in need of a heart transplant wait at home rather than the hospital, Science Daily reported May 7.
The results, published in Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, implanted the Jarvik 2015 Ventricular Assist Device in seven children ages 8 months to 7 years. The children spent months using the device before their transplant and were able to participate in normal play activities. All the children survived, though one child — whose heart recovered and thus did not require a transplant — had a stroke on the 53rd day following device implantation.
The device is not FDA approved.