Heart patient better: surgeon

Press, 10 January 1983, Page 8

Heart patient better: surgeon

NZPA Salt Lake City A smiling, joking Dr Barney Clark left his hospital room at the week-end for the third time in five days, and the surgeon who implanted his artificial heart said that his patient looked stronger than the dav before. “Dr Clark was pushed in a wheelchair to a corridor connecting two wings of the hospital where there was a sunnv area and a view of Salt’Lake Valley," said Dr John Dwan. the University of Utah Medical Centre's spokesman. “Dr Clark was accompanied by his wife. Una Loy. and he seemed to enjoy the trip very much. He smiled, responded to jokes by the staff and nodded and waved to passers-by who said hello to him.” he said.

Last week Dr Clark’s physicians expressed concern over his slow recovery. Dr Clark, aged 61.. a retired dentist from the Seattle suburb of Des Moines, had been having mild periods of

kidney and pulmonary insufficiency and brief bouts of confusion.

Although Dr William Devries. the surgeon who implanted Dr Clark's mechanical heart in the pioneering surgery on December 2. reported his patient’s condition improved. Dr Dwan said that Dr Clark remained in serious but stable condition. Dr Dwan has said that doctors do not pian to upgrade Dr Clark’s condition to satisfactory until they are certain he is out of danger.

Dr Dwan said that Dr Clark’s family had obtained a literary agent to handle commercial offers for Dr Clark’s story. Lucy Kroll, who w’orked with the poet and author. Carl Sandberg, bad met family members at the hospital on Friday, he said.

The university had suggested it to the family because, "we have been approached by a great many magazines and others interested in the rights to Dr Clark's story." Dr Dwan said.