Doctors from UMC Utrecht just transplanted an artificial heart into a 54-year-old man. This is the first time that this procedure has been done in the Netherlands.
According to De Volkskrant, the artificial heart was transplanted into a Dutch man suffering from severe heart failure as well as another condition, which meant that he had to wait a very long time before he was eligible for another heart — time which the patient didn’t have.
Artificial heart
But thankfully, technology has come to the rescue! French technology to be exact. Heart and lung surgeon, Faiz Ramjankhan, gave the man an artificial heart which has been successful in extending patients’ lives for up to ten years while they wait for a real heart. 🥺❤️
The artificial heart pumps blood through the heart via two motors and the power comes from batteries connected by a cable exiting the abdominal wall.
The patient was out of the IC after only two days and was excited to go back to cycling and exercising, according to his cardiologist Linda van Laake. He is also learning how to replace the batteries on his heart. ☺️
What do you think about the first heart transplant in the Netherlands? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Feature Image: ArturVerkhovetskiy/Depositphotos