For many patients who are too ill to wait for a new human heart, there have been few options. Cardiac surgeons at Stanford now offer a new device called a total artificial heart. It provides full mechanical support for a patient's blood circulation needs, essentially acting as the heart does. Cardiologist Dipanjan Banerjee, MD, and cardiac surgeon, Richard Ha, MD, explain the procedure and how it can give patients hope for a future.

Vaness French was one such patient, too ill with heart disease to wait for a heart transplant. Mr. French received his total artificial heart device here at Stanford. Check out his story.