[The Rostock artificial heart--current status and perspectives]

The authors report on their experiences gained by animal experiments (calf) and their attempts (human corpses) concerning adaptation of the apparatus to the human thorax. At the present time they do not see a chance for its routine clinical use. The main reason why is the impossibility to install the extrathoracic driving system into the thoracic cage and last not least the wear of the material used for the heart chambers.