70,000th heart surgery at the German Heart Center

70,000th heart surgery with heart-lung machine at the German Heart Center

07/18/2012

The German Heart Center Berlin (DHZB) is an internationally renowned clinic for open heart surgery. Recently, the 70,000th heart surgery was performed using a heart-lung machine. The 84-year-old patient survived the operation well.

Artificial pumps of greater importance than transplants
Roland Hetzer, medical director of the DHZB, had every reason to celebrate. In addition to the 70,000th open heart surgery that was performed in the heart center, the first successful artificial heart implantation in the DHZB, the Hetzer made in 1987 with a 53-year-old man from southern Germany, for the 25th time. The physician explained that artificial pumps are now more important than transplants, as fewer and fewer donor organs are available. In 2011, 177 artificial hearts used in the DHZB faced only 62 transplants. This is also the reason why specialists at congresses deal with artificial pumps rather than transplants.

The organ donation foundation Eurotransplant in Leiden, the Netherlands, maintains a list of about 15,000 people waiting for a donor organ. However, in 2010, just under 7,000 hearts, livers, lungs, kidneys, and pancreas were donated and transplanted.

70,000th patient with open heart surgery is 84 years old
The 70,000th patient with an open heart surgery at the DHZB is the 84-year-old Lore Buettner, who was treated for an aortic dissection, a life-threatening division of the wall layers of the main artery. „Some say that patients over the age of 80 should not operate on an aortic dissection“, reported Hetzer. „But from the very beginning, I have given the motto for this house to receive and treat every patient, no matter how old he is“, said the Medical Director of the DHZB. „Elsewhere, well-known institutions reject such an operation for over 80s. "

The operation of the woman was successful. „I feel very well“, Buettner explained. „And I am very grateful that I still experience all this despite my 84 years. I am very thankful that I am allowed to live.“

Great progress in the field of medical technology
Hetzer also pointed out the great advances in medical technology. In comparison to the initially used devices, especially the heart-supporting systems have been significantly reduced in the meantime. There used to be refrigerator-sized supply systems that were much smaller now. In addition, artificial pumps would no longer be applied externally to the patient's body, so that patients would have a higher quality of life.

Hetzer has been head of the DHZB since 1986. Already in 1983 he carried out his first heart transplant in Hanover. „Building the DHZB was a fascinating challenge“, said the doctor. „I have always enjoyed the work, and I still like to operate today.“ It is motivating, „to lead a center that can be said about: if nothing works, you can still send the patients there.“ (Ag)