Israeli doctors have performed the country’s first successful heart transplant on a patient who had previously received a full artificial heart, Sheba Medical Center said Thursday.
The patient, a man in his 50s, underwent the transplant last week, three months after doctors implanted an artificial heart that kept him alive until a suitable donor heart was found. The original procedure was documented by Ynet.
The artifical heart transplant
(Video: Or Hadar)
“This is a very moving moment that truly puts us at the forefront of medicine,” said Prof. Yael Peled, medical director of Sheba’s Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Unit. “It’s a life-saving step that opens up more opportunities to help people.”
Peled said the patient arrived at Sheba about three months ago suffering from severe failure in both ventricles of his heart, a condition that in the past left doctors with limited treatment options. “The artificial heart stabilized him and gave us the time to perform a human heart transplant, something we didn’t have until recently,” she said.
The artificial heart was implanted in May. Doctors described the case as a medical milestone that showed the technology could serve as a bridge until a donor heart is available.
“We never know when there will be a human heart donation, which is rare and not something that can be kept on the shelf like an artificial heart,” Peled said. “The artificial heart serves as a bridge but I believe it could eventually become a long-term treatment option.”
Prof. Leonid Sternik, head of Sheba’s Cardiac Surgery Division, called the achievement “extraordinary.” He said full artificial heart implants are among the most advanced medical procedures in the world and are performed in only a few leading centers.
The transplant was carried out by a multidisciplinary team that included Prof. Avi Morgan, surgical director of Sheba’s Mechanical Support Unit, Dr. Eyal–Ran Nahum, surgical director of the Heart Transplant Unit, and Dr. Assi Milwidsky, head of Inpatient Mechanical Support and Heart Failure Services.
Peled said future developments in the field may include partial heart transplants, hearts from animals such as pigs, and even 3D-printed organs. “The future is bright and we’re moving forward with it,” she said.