Vietnam successfully transplants 3rd generation partial artificial heart for the first time

artificial heart - Photo 1.

Doctors at Hospital 108 successfully performed the first 3rd generation partial artificial heart transplant in Vietnam - Photo: BVCC

There were patients who lived for 11 more years.

Ms. HTX (46 years old) was admitted to the 108 Military Central Hospital in March with a diagnosis of heart failure with severely reduced ejection fraction (EF only 19%) due to dilated cardiomyopathy, combined with dangerous complications such as old cerebral infarction and right subclavian artery occlusion.

Ms. X. was assigned to implant a third-generation left ventricular assist device, the latest generation to replace the function of the left side of the heart.

The device acts as a mechanical pump, pumping blood from the heart to the aorta, with a special structure and operating mechanism that optimizes the blood flow pumped out, while minimizing the risk of thrombosis and hemolysis. The artificial heart has wires connected to a battery outside the body.

According to experts, this artificial heart has been proven to prolong life and improve 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. Schmitto - President of the European Society of Mechanical Circulation - a world- leading expert. He was also the first person in the world to successfully perform LVAD-Heart Mate3 surgery to treat end-stage heart failure in 2014. After 11 years, the patient is still living normally.

The surgery took place in 4 hours. After 2 weeks of implantation, Ms. X. was able to walk and resume her daily activities completely.

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

With the ability to support and replace the pumping function of the left ventricle, the device will improve blood flow to organs in the body, helping patients maintain a normal life.

More opportunities for patients with end-stage heart failure

Heart failure is the final stage of cardiovascular disease, with the highest mortality rate in the world, higher than cancer and stroke.

About 50% of heart failure patients do not live more than 5 years after being diagnosed by a doctor. For patients with end-stage heart failure, this number is even higher, with an average life expectancy of about 6-12 months, and a mortality rate of > 75% after 1 year.

In the past, left ventricular assist devices were used as a bridging treatment to prolong life for heart failure patients while waiting for a suitable heart transplant opportunity.

Currently, the 3rd generation partial artificial heart (LVAD - Heart Mate3) has outstanding features, proven by multi-center studies worldwide with a survival rate > 5 years of up to 76%.

This is the only left ventricular assist device in the world today that has been recognized by the Cardiovascular Association as a long-term alternative treatment solution when a heart transplant is not available.

This success opens up opportunities for thousands of patients with end-stage heart failure because they have only one way to continue living, waiting for a heart transplant. Although the source of donated organs has improved, it is still extremely small compared to the number of people waiting for transplants.