The world's first new artificial heart implanted

World premiere: Hanoverian doctors implant new artificial heart for the first time

07/12/2014

World premiere in Lower Saxony: Hannover doctors have a 56-year-old man's first artificial heart of the type „Heartmate III“ implanted. According to the Hannover Medical School, the patient from Hesse is doing very well.

World premiere in Hannover
Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are looking for a donor organ. Around 11,000 seriously ill patients in Germany should be the ones who could potentially save a transplant. But the willingness to donate is steadily decreasing. Since there are still too few donor organs available in Germany, more and more artificial hearts are being used. The Hannover Medical School (MHH), one of the largest cardiac centers in Germany, has made a virtue of this necessity. Recently, MMH's medical experts have achieved a world premiere: just a few weeks ago, the world's first newly developed artificial heart was launched there for the first time „Heartmate III“ used successfully.

Patients are well after the procedure
At a press conference on Friday in Hannover, the 56-year-old reported on the results: „I feel a bit weak due to surgery, but I already feel a clear improvement, especially when breathing.“ In just a few days, the man from Hesse should change to a rehabilitation clinic. Already next week, the next patient at the MHH will get the new artificial heart. The latest model is smaller and more technically sophisticated than the old Kunstherz generations. Since it requires significantly less space, it can therefore be used more gently, said MHH senior physician Jan Schmitto.

Often the only chance of survival
The head of the clinic, Prof. Axel Haverich, explained the principle. „Heartmate III“ is therefore not a substitute for the heart, but a mechanical device that is inserted into the left ventricle and takes over the pumping power of this diseased heart chamber. Given the lack of donors, the device is often the only chance of survival for patients to bridge the waiting time. Since 2004, around 500 patients have been treated in a similar way and now there are more such operations in Germany than heart transplants. The pumping power of „Heartmate III“ is up to ten liters of blood per minute, which is the full power of a healthy heart. The new system is still in the test phase. It is estimated that there will be a general approval at the earliest in one year. (Ad)