Device Replaces Heart And Beats Like One to Keep 32-Year-Old Kashmir Man Alive

Left ventricle assistive device implantation is a good alternative for heart failure patients as it helps them to survive without a heart for years.

Karwan Ghafour Mohammedý, a 32-year-old business man from Kurdistan underwent a successful artificial transplant at BLK super speciality hospital in Srinagar. Left ventricle assistive device (LVAD) was implanted to help him survive as there was shortage of donors for heart transplantation.

Terminal heart failure patients were offered only heart implant surgeries till some time ago. Recently shortage of donors has paved the way for LVAD technology where only two such implants have been done in last six months in north India.

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“LVAD is a great leap of technology that is a good alternative,” the doctors said.

The LVAD is a machine which has eight rechargeable batteries that last for 12 hours. Patients can comfortably survive for four days without charging the batteries. It functions just like the heart.

Dr Kaul, Chairman & HoD, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), BLK Super Speciality Hospital lead the team of highly specialized surgeons to perform the implant.

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“The surgery took six hours and involved 12 specialists from different departments, including three surgeons. Despite very complex and difficult operation, the doctors were able to pull it off placing LVAD, successfully,” said Dr Kaul

He informed, "Mohammed came to us with terminal heart condition(cardiomyopathy). We found that he had a disease in his heart muscle that makes it very weak and heart can't eject blood, which eventually starts failing. Also in such cases there is no treatment possible. However, we tried to treat him medically first but his breathlessness kept increasing and he could not walk even few steps. He was waiting for implant but due to acute shortage of donors that was not possible."

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“Even if a heart is not available, he can survive for 10 years on this machine,” said Dr. Kaul.

Source-Medindia

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