For the first time, Vietnam has successfully implanted a third-generation partial artificial heart.

NDO - Waking up after a successful transplant of a third-generation partial artificial heart, the 46-year-old woman choked up and said, "I was so afraid I didn't know when my heart would stop beating. Thank you to the doctors for 'reviving' my heart, giving me hope to live and witness my son's wedding."

The surgeons are operating on the patient. (Photo: Provided by the hospital)

The Central Military Hospital 108 has successfully performed the first third-generation partial artificial heart transplant (LVAD - Heart Mate3) in Vietnam. This is a significant milestone, bringing Vietnamese medicine closer to advanced medical systems around the world .

Extending the lives of patients with late-stage heart failure.

In March 2025, a 46-year-old female patient from the Cooperative was admitted to Military Central Hospital 108 with severe heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy and a reduced ejection fraction (EF of only 19%). The patient also had dangerous complications such as a previous stroke and right subclavian artery occlusion.

The patient had been diagnosed with end-stage heart failure and treated with the best medications for many years, but their health condition did not improve. Recently, the patient experienced acute episodes of shortness of breath and a large amount of pleural effusion, requiring emergency hospitalization.

The patient underwent both domestic and international consultations and was recommended for implantation of a third-generation Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), the latest generation designed to replace the function of the left side of the heart.

The patient was indicated for implantation of a third-generation Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).

This device functions like a mechanical pump, pumping blood from the heart to the aorta. Its unique design and operating mechanism optimize blood flow while minimizing the risk of thrombosis and hemolysis. The device is connected to an external battery. It has been shown to significantly extend the lifespan and improve the quality of life for patients with late-stage heart failure.

The surgery was performed by doctors at the 108 Military Central Hospital under the guidance of Professor Jan D. Schmidto, President of the European Society for Circulatory Mechanics, a world-leading expert and the first person in the world to successfully implant LVAD-Heart Mate3 to treat end-stage heart failure in 2014. After 11 years, the patient is still living a normal life.

After four hours, the surgery was successful. And just two weeks after the transplant, the patient was able to walk and perform personal activities completely normally and is being guided through professional care procedures for discharge.

The patient underwent a follow-up health check after surgery.

Heart failure is the end-stage of cardiovascular disease and has the highest mortality rate worldwide, surpassing even cancer and stroke. Approximately 50% of heart failure patients do not survive more than 5 years after diagnosis. For patients with end-stage heart failure, this number is even higher, with an average survival time of about 6-12 months and a mortality rate of over 75% within one year.

Opening up opportunities for thousands of patients with end-stage heart failure.

According to Dr. Dang Viet Duc, Deputy Director of the Cardiovascular Institute, Military Central Hospital 108, the third-generation left ventricular assist device (LVAD - Heart Mate3) is one of the most advanced and sophisticated techniques in the field of cardiology, especially in the treatment of patients with severe heart failure.

By assisting and replacing the pumping function of the left ventricle, the device will improve blood flow to the body's organs, helping patients maintain a normal life.

Many patients have lived for up to 15 years and are now using LVAD.

Previously, left ventricular assist devices were used as a bridging treatment to prolong the lifespan of heart failure patients while awaiting a suitable heart transplant opportunity; the LVAD - Heart Mate3 device, first successfully implanted at Military Central Hospital 108, possesses superior features, proven by multi-center studies worldwide with a 5-year survival rate of up to 76%.

Tens of thousands of cases worldwide have seen successful partial artificial heart (LVA) transplants in general, and the Heartmate 3 device in particular. Many patients have lived for up to 15 years, and now LVAD is not only a bridge for patients awaiting heart transplants but may also be a targeted treatment for patients with heart failure.

This is currently the only left ventricular assist device in the world recognized by cardiovascular associations as a long-term alternative treatment when a heart transplant is not available. LVAD - Heart Mate3 is not just a supportive solution, but an indispensable part of modern medical advancements, contributing to saving lives and improving the quality of life for many patients with cardiovascular disease.

This success opens up opportunities for thousands of patients with end-stage heart failure, whose only option was to wait for a heart transplant. Although the supply of donated organs has improved, it remains extremely limited compared to the number of people waiting for a transplant.

This is the first successful transplant performed by young doctors at Military Central Hospital 108 under the guidance of international professors.

To implement this advanced technique, the 108 Military Central Hospital proactively set its strategic direction, selecting the world's leading center for this technique, the Hannover University Medical Center (Germany). A team of four doctors (two cardiovascular surgeons, one cardiovascular resuscitation specialist, and one anesthesiologist) received full financial support from the hospital for their training there, under the direct guidance of Professor Jan D. Schmitto – a world-leading professor in this technique and the person who performed the first case in the world.

The hospital sent one cardiovascular resuscitation specialist to St Vincent's Hospital Sydney in Australia (where the first successful BiVACOR total artificial heart transplant was performed a few months ago) and one cardiovascular surgeon for two years of training at the Military Cardiology Center in Germany.

Patients are doing exercises while waiting to be discharged from the hospital.

The successful completion of this transplant marks a significant milestone in the field of cardiovascular surgery in Vietnam, affirming the hospital's strong professional capabilities and sound investment and guidance strategies in developing high-tech techniques.

The Party Committee and Board of Directors of Military Central Hospital 108 have decided to invest and pay more than 5 billion VND per person for the first patients to undergo partial artificial heart transplantation.

Military Central Hospital 108 is currently the first hospital in Vietnam authorized to routinely perform left ventricular assist device (LVSD) implantation in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Health and the Military Medical Department/ Ministry of National Defense .

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/lan-dau-tien-viet-nam-cay-ghep-thanh-cong-tim-nhan-tao-ban-phan-the-he-thu-3-post871867.html