Professor Mariusz Kusmierczyk and a team of cardiac surgeons performed the first implantation of an artificial ventricle at the Medical University of Warsaw. This is a state-of-the-art, next-generation device, the university says.
Until recently, devices of this type have only been implanted in patients awaiting heart transplants, the Warsaw Medical University said in a release. However, it turned out that the devices provide patients with such comfort of life that they sometimes refuse transplantation. Currently, this solution is often used as the target solution for the rest of the patient’s life. Pump implantation is also possible in people who are not suitable for transplantation due to age.
How does an artificial ventricle work?
The artificial chamber is capable of injecting from 2.5 to 10 liters of blood per minute, which means that the patient can not only function normally, but even play sports. The pump is connected to an external power source and a monitoring device for the entire system, which not only detects emergency situations, but also keeps a continuous record of work, which is invaluable for diagnostics. The patient wears an external device in a special case, which is placed under
sweater or jacket.
The pump itself is a levitating, fast rotating self-centering impeller, which is not mounted on a mechanical bearing, but floats in a housing on a magnetic system. Magnets hold the rotor in position and set it in motion. The device can operate in a constant speed mode - up to 4000 rpm or in an artificial pulse mode, in which the rotor speed and the amount of blood injected change automatically.
Up to 200 needy patients
This is the first implantation of such a device at the University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw. In Poland, 40-50 devices of this type are implanted annually, mostly of the older generation. Needs are estimated at 200 implants per year.
Source: Wprost
