World's most advanced artificial heart successfully implanted in an Israeli hospital

The world's most advanced complete artificial heartcomplete artificial heartwas implanted inIsraelthis Thursday. "It's a historic day," professor Avi Morgan told Israeli newspaper Ynet. He is the surgical director of the heart transplant and artificial heart unit at the Sheba Medical Center, a prestigious institution located near Tel Aviv, where the procedure was performed.

The Aeson artificial heart, manufactured by the French company CARMAT, was implanted in a man in his 50s suffering from severe heart failure.

It should be noted that heart failure is a chronic disease that results from a deterioration in the function of the heart and its ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to all the body's tissues.

Morgan added that after the operation, which lasted six hours, the artificial heart will keep the patient alive and improve his condition, and he expects that within six to 12 months he will be able to receive a new heart.

However, he noted that, in the future and with advances in technology, the company aims to make the artificial heart a substitute for heart transplants.

Between 1-2% of the world's population suffers from heart failure

It is estimated that 1-2% of people worldwide suffer from heart failure, equivalent to between 80 and 160 million patients.

Heart failure can cause a variety of symptoms, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing or coughing, confusion, dizziness, and leg and ankle edema.

Heart transplants are considered in cases of severe heart failure that cannot be treated with various treatments.

The operated patient suffered from severe biventricular heart failure, that is, an impairment in both the right and left ventricles of the heart, something that happens in 10% of patients suffering from this condition.

How does the artificial heart work?

Morgan explained to Ynet that the heart is divided into right and left sides, and most people with heart failure suffer from impairment in the left ventricle.

Regarding the case in question, the specialist said that the medical team implanted a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), which acts like an artificial pump. It draws blood from the left ventricle and transfers it to the main artery of the body (the aorta), which is responsible for supplying blood to all the organs.

The device is implanted alongside the patient's heart; it does not replace it, he added.

However, patients suffering from this condition must wait for long periods of time to receive a transplant.

The Aeson artificial heart is made of an advanced material called PEEK (polyether ether ether ketone), a strong and durable engineering plastic. The pumping it performs mimics that of the natural heart.

Speaking to Ynet, Yaniv Bakish, clinical support manager at Tzamal Medical, the company importing the technology to Israel, indicated that another important advantage of the device is that it automatically adjusts to the flow of the body's activity, in contrast to what happened in the past, when artificial hearts worked the same way in all situations.

Yaniv Bakish further commented that the four heart valves and the membranes that push blood out of the ventricles are made of biological materials that reduce the risk of clots.

"We will be able to save many more patients"

Morgan stated that he and his team are very excited. "Thanks to this device, we will be able to save many more patients who would otherwise die while waiting for a transplant," the specialist told Ynet.