Why should Picard have to have an artificial heart?

[Sisko_is_my_captain]

They're arguing about Neelix's lung over in the VOY and it got me thinking about Picard's artificial heart. Considering how advanced cloning appears to be in the 24th century, why did Picard have to have an artificial heart installed instead of just having a cloned one put in (either the first or second time)? Was there any in-universe explanation on this at any point?

 

[Vance]

They're arguing about Neelix's lung over in the VOY and it got me thinking about Picard's artificial heart. Considering how advanced cloning appears to be in the 24th century, why did Picard have to have an artificial heart installed instead of just having a cloned one put in (either the first or second time)? Was there any in-universe explanation on this at any point?

Nope. And, since we're not too far from that technology today, it's pretty patently absurd for Picard to have an iffy pacemaker in the 24th century, particularly AFTER they rebuild his entire body from his DNA already, and that - presumably - wouldn't have had a pacemaker in it!

 

[JNG]

They're arguing about Neelix's lung over in the VOY and it got me thinking about Picard's artificial heart. Considering how advanced cloning appears to be in the 24th century, why did Picard have to have an artificial heart installed instead of just having a cloned one put in (either the first or second time)? Was there any in-universe explanation on this at any point?

The Federation seems to have some ill-defined but highly restrictive rules about cloning, which I imagine were in effect decades before TNG also, and maybe this is not the standard way of dealing with things. There is also always some risk of rejection, which might be minimized with a mechanical heart. Finally, Picard may have preferred it for some reason, or at least it was ready sooner and then he never wanted to go back in to get an "upgrade." This could be what comes back to get him during TNG.

 

[sbk1234]

I guess stem cell research never did get that funding...

 

[Praetor]

It's also possible the Federation developed an aversion to cloning and genetic manipulation in light of the Eugenics Wars (as seen with Dr. Bashir's little problem) and any developments made before that were forgotten or ignored.

 

[Non Sync]

To get the best tissue match, they would have to grow a new heart from Picard's own cells. That would have taken a little while.

Instead, go to replicator and order up a Mark VII artificial heart and implant it.

 

[Anwar]

Given the severity of his injury, they probably just stuck an already existing mechanical heart in him to keep him alive instead of putting him in stasis while waiting for a new heart to be grown. Then after that he might've just preferred to keep the mechanical heart.

 

[Holdfast]

Wasn't this addressed in the episode where Picard gets it replaced?

Picard WANTED a mechanical heart rather than a biological replacement, to remind him of what it meant.

(this doesn't explain directly why the very first one that was put in after the Nausiccan stabbed him was mechanical, but it's implied indirectly that biological advances allowing for a non-mechanical replacement came about in later years)

 

[Praetor]

Was it really addressed there?

Well, I feel stupid.

 

[Holdfast]

Was it really addressed there?

Well, I feel stupid.

I just looked it up. To be fair, it's not as cut-and-dried and obvious as I misremembered previously.

Wesley asks Picard "why would anyone choose a flawed replacement?"

Picard just glares at him and goes silent.

Later in the ep, Picard explains the Nausiccan backstory, and explains that it was a hard lesson to learn.

From that, I got the sense that Picard deliberately prefers the "flawed replacement" because it reminds him of the lesson he learnt that day. But it's not overtly linked the way I thought.

It's interesting to wonder whether events later in Tapestry lessened or strengthened his desire to keep a mechanical heart rather than a "unflawed" one.

 

[Praetor]

Well I think that's the best explanation then. I'd never quite picked up on that and it's been a while since I saw it. Good catch!

I imagine somehow 'Tapestry' might have reinforced his reason for keeping the 'flawed' heart.