the national university hospital has, for the first time in Denmark implanted an artificial heart in a patient.
It is an electrical artificial heart, and it is intended for patients who are critically ill of heart failure in both sides of the heart.
The successful implantation is a major step, believe Finn Gustafsson, who is chief physician and professor in the cardio-medical Clinic at Rigshospitalet.
- Now we can suddenly help a group of patients, as we have not had an offer to before, he says.
Denmark is a part of an international study, and the Danish patient is number 13 in the world, there has been an artificial heart from the manufacturer, Carmat. The other operations are done in the Czech republic and Kazakhstan.
the Goal is to reach 20 implantations a total of worldwide.
You have already hjertepumper, which may be installed, if the right ventricle is still functioning. As support the the the existing ventricle.
- this is The first time where we have removed the existing heart and replaced it with a completely artificial heart. It can so do by patients where both ventricles are failing, says Finn Gustafsson.
He estimates that up to some hundreds of patients a year in Denmark can get the benefit of the artificial heart.