Assisted Circulation

J. Navratil The performance of operations on the heart and its replacement by a trans­ planted or artificial heart has been an age old dream of man. Rehn for example in an early attempt, in 1868 performed a closure of a heart wound after a thoracic puncture. At that time noone thought that this attempt was the beginning of cardiac surgery. The dream was partially realized when the replacement of the heart function by the heart-lungmachine became possible. Immediately following the first operatio