See the movies

The following movies explore these themes and are available for planetarium domes and for home DVD:

Every one of us is born with a certain number of cells in our hearts. If we've had a heart attack, our heart will become weaker because our body does not replace all of the heart cells that die. Instead, the remaining cells form a scar of extra cellular matrix on the heart. This is similar to a scar that forms when you cut your skin, but the scar on your heart will weaken the heart and can cause it to beat irregularly.

Ventricular assist device.

Someone with a seriously damaged heart may need to have it replaced. This is called a heart transplant, and this technique was developed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard, a South African Surgeon. There are about 2,000 of these transplants each year in the United States, but that is not nearly enough. Thousands more wait on long lists for donor hearts. Sadly, some of these people die.

There are other methods to help heal diseased hearts. If the heart is damaged enough that it cannot beat correctly, a heart surgeon may install a ventricular assist device (see images to the right). A ventricular assist device is a battery-powered pump that is attached to the left ventricle of the heart (the chamber of the heart that does most of the work to pump blood around the body.) The pump will help the heart to pump blood, making it easier for the heart to keep the rest of the body going. This gives the heart extra time to heal its damaged tissue.