Artificial heart pioneer Dr. Robert Jarvik has died at 79, leaving behind a revolutionary legacy that gave desperate patients a second chance at life despite a medical landscape that wasn’t quite ready for his groundbreaking technology.
At a Glance
- Dr. Robert Jarvik, designer of the first permanent artificial heart implanted in a human, died at age 79 in Manhattan from Parkinson’s complications
- The first recipient of the Jarvik-7 heart, Barney Clark, survived 112 days after the groundbreaking 1982 implant
- Later recipients lived longer — up to 620 days — proving the device’s potential
- The FDA withdrew approval in 1990 citing quality-of-life concerns
- Jarvik later founded Jarvik Heart, Inc. to develop smaller ventricular assist devices
A Heart of Innovation Born from Loss
Dr. Jarvik’s pivot from architecture to medicine began with a deeply personal tragedy: his father survived one aortic aneurysm, only to succumb to a second. That experience redirected Jarvik’s career and would ultimately revolutionize cardiac care. Educated at Syracuse University and the University of Utah, Jarvik earned his medical degree in 1976 before diving into artificial heart research.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Willem Kolff, Jarvik helped develop mechanical hearts — including one tested in a cow that survived an astonishing 268 days. The real breakthrough came in 1982 when the FDA greenlit the first human trial of the Jarvik-7.
The Heart That Shook the World
The first patient, Barney Clark, a retired dentist suffering from terminal heart failure, became a global symbol of innovation. His survival for 112 days post-surgery stunned the world. Clark, speaking through mechanical breaths, famously told his wife, “Even though I have no heart, I still love you.”
Watch a report: Jarvik’s Legacy and the Future of Artificial Hearts.
Subsequent patients lived far longer — including one who reached 620 days — helping validate the device’s clinical potential. The New York Times once reported that patients “could live long term on the plastic and metal device.” The Jarvik-7 was soon used not just for permanent implantation, but as a temporary bridge for transplant candidates.
Bureaucracy vs. Breakthroughs
Despite these successes, government regulators eventually intervened. In 1990, the FDA withdrew approval for the Jarvik-7, citing that complications had “impaired the quality of their lives and blunted initial enthusiasm for the heart.” The agency’s move symbolized a now-familiar pattern — groundbreaking innovation often being stifled by bureaucratic overreach.
Still, Jarvik didn’t stop. He launched Jarvik Heart, Inc. in 1987 and went on to develop the Jarvik 2000 and its pediatric version, the Jarvik 2015 — smaller, more adaptable ventricular assist devices used globally.
A Legacy That Lives On
In 2018, Jarvik was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering work in cardiac medicine. He is survived by his wife, columnist Marilyn vos Savant, and two children. But his most enduring legacy lies in the lives extended — and saved — by refusing to accept that a failing heart meant the end of hope.
In an era when bold medical breakthroughs often meet resistance from regulators, Dr. Robert Jarvik’s journey reminds us that real progress requires courage, vision, and above all — heart.
