Finlands first artificial heart transplant made successfully

The first artificial heart transplantation has been made to a patient in Helsinki. The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) reported on Tuesday that the patient is recovering at Meilahti Hospital. The surgery was conducted on April 16 and was led by cardiothoracic surgeon Karl Lemström from HUS.

“The surgery itself lasted 3-4 hours. The initial and final preparations into the operation went on throughout the day,” he said. A control unit outside the body regulates the artificial heart’s functions. The artificial heart works on compressed air the same way as the natural one does. Vacuum and pressure variation between the membrane and the chambers of the deoxygenated and oxygenated blood is moved to the right places. Constriction in the chest is regulated by passing through the compressed air hoses. Lemström said the size of the artificial heart is about that of two oranges. The space between the patient’s sternum and the spine will thus be 10 centimetres.“The treated patients must be adults. The artificial heart is not suitable for children,” he added.

Only a few artificial heart transplants have been carried out in Nordic countries. According to Lemström, about 1,500 artificial heart transplants have been carried out worldwide.

source: http://www.finlandtimes.fi/health/2015/04/22/16165/Countrys-first-artificial-heart-transplant-made-successfully