First artificial heart implantation in Kerala successfully done on 61-year-old woman

Kochi: A private hospital here has successfully performed artificial heart implantation, said to be Kerala's first, on a 61-year-old female patient.

Doctors performed a nine-hour-long surgery, the VPS Lakeshore hospital said, adding that the patient is safe and sound and is in the recovery phase undergoing rehabilitation.

"The Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a complex and rare procedure which needs good expertise and only few centres in India are doing it at present. The device implanted on her is HeartMate 2 (a second generation ventricular assist device)," the hospital said in a release.

LVAD is an advanced and unique mechanism designed to aid patients suffering from heart failure. This mechanical pump is implanted in patients which helps the bottom left chamber of the heart (left ventricle) pump blood out of the ventricle to the aorta and the rest of the body.

The patient, who was undergoing treatment for Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) for the past six years, was admitted with cardiogenic shock, breathing difficulty and hypotension on September 13.

"As organ donation is in a plateau phase in Kerala, ventricular assist device (artificial heart) is a boon in the present scenario as a bridge to transplant as well as destination therapy," Dr Sujith D S, Cardiothoracic Surgeon of the Hospital said.