Record patients live 5 years with artificial heart

European record: Patients have been living with an artificial heart for five years. Already 150 people were provided with a synthetic heart at the Medical University.

(28.10.2010) Cardiac surgery at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) is one of the best in the world. Since 2005, more than 150 patients have been treated with an artificial heart. The first of these patients have been living with the artificial heart for five years. This is a European record and reason enough to take a closer look at the new generation of artificial hearts.

European record at the MHH
Prof. Dr. Martin Strüber, Deputy Medical Director of the Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) had the now 26-year-old Nino Wolfram, the 50-year-old Uwe Schulze and the 28-year-old Bastian Heidhoff in the the second half of 2005, the continuously pumping cardiac assist system „HeartMate II. "The three MHH patients were among the first in the world to implant the new generation of artificial hearts, with the exception of two in the United States who live on cardiac support systems for a little while longer.

No pulse through mini-turbines Kunstherz
Actually, the miniature pumps were intended only as short-term bridging systems for patients with impending heart failure, until a suitable donor heart is available. However, the three patients have been living with their artificial hearts for five years. „I am glad that I got the artificial heart - otherwise I would not live anymore ", emphasized Nino Wolfram, who thanks to the heart support system can now not only climb stairs again, but also cycles and goes to the gym - besides the tiny size is the special thing about it „Heartmate II“-System that the pumps like small turbines continuously transport the blood and therefore patients no longer have a pulse. „Five years ago, we could not be sure that a life without a pulse would be good over the years and that all organs would be able to adjust to the absence of pulsation, "explained Prof. Dr. Strüber, adding that the doctors now have the certainty, „that patients with these artificial hearts can live properly for over five years“.

150 artificial heart implants since 2005
With more than 150 artificial heart implants since 2005, MHH is one of the largest treatment centers in Europe to implant such support systems. With Prof. Dr. Axel Haverich, director of the MHH Clinic for Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery stresses that the implantation of artificial hearts „Although only the second best care (is), but since there are not enough donor hearts for transplantation, we must fall back on it. "So could only transplant 363 hearts in 2009, although far more people were on the waiting list for a donor organ Around 400 patients were waiting for a corresponding donor heart and meanwhile the number has more than doubled, as the specialists emphasize „Heartmate II“ offers here to bridge the waiting time a good alternative. The intracorporeal implantable left - heart assist system based on the axial pump principle of the „Heartmate II“ is designed for long-term operation and has a pump capacity of up to ten liters per minute. It is inserted directly into the thorax, with the inlet cannula implanted in the left apex and the outlet cannula implanted in the main artery (aorta ascendens) via a vascular prosthesis. However, patients must always carry a battery-powered device that controls the pump and recharges or replaces its batteries every two to three hours.

Art heart research is progressing
The expert Prof. dr. Strüber emphasized that although he had already expected that he would opt for the implantation of artificial hearts for a correspondingly long time, he did not know it at the start of the pilot project. And until today, it is not clear how long the pumps will last, explained the expert. „I think the pumps can last a good ten years, but the hoses, for example, are more likely to have problems“, so Prof. dr. Strüber. However, research is progressing steadily, so that there are now devices that are much smaller and therefore more comfortable to wear than the previously transplanted pumps, said the specialist. (Fp)

Also read:
First child receives permanent artificial heart

Picture credits: German Federal Archive, picture 183-1988-1208-002, originator: Sindermann, Jürgen.