Longest time survived without a pulse

The longest time a human has survived without a pulse in their vascular system is three days. Julie Mills (UK) was literally at the point of death due to severe heart failure and viral myocarditis when on 14 August 1998, cardiac surgeons at The John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, used a non pulsatile blood pump (AB180) to support her for one week, during which her heart recovered and the pump was removed.

The device, which was implanted by Consultant Cardiac Surgeon Stephen Westaby, was the fourth one to be used since its development in the USA and the first where the patient survived the procedure.

The lack of pulse was documented invasively with a canula in an artery.