So, it will alternately send blood to the lungs and then to the body, instead of both at the same time as a natural heart does. The AbioCor is capable of pumping more than 10 liters per minute, enough for daily activities. Major Types of Total Artificial Hearts TAH Indications Compared to LVADs, the TAH has several potential advantages, including the ability to assist patients with severe biventricular failure; lack of pocket for the device and therefore lower risk of infection; and the opportunity to treat patients with systemic diseases (e.g., amyloidosis, malignancies) who would not otherwise be candidates for transplantation. (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/163062-treatment#d22) You may need a TAH for one of two reasons: to keep you alive while you wait for a heart transplant; If you are not eligible for a heart transplant, but have end-stage heart failure in both ventricles. (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/tah) Total Artificial Heart Implantation: Clinical Indications, Expected Postoperative Imaging Findings, and Recognition of Complications.