The artificial heart can fully replicate normal heart functions for up to five years.
Doctors in France’s Georges Pompidou European Hospital have just performed the first ever transplant of French pharmaceutical company Carmat’s artificial heart to a human patient. Carmat says the operation was a complete success – the patient is currently awake in the intensive care unit and is speaking with family members.
The artificial heart, which looks like something right out of Deus Ex, includes sections of cow tissue, but is mostly robotic. It is three times heavier than a normal human’s heart, can beat for up to five years and is designed for patients suffering from end-stage heart failure. But before you go rushing out to augment yourself, you may want to consider the price tag: $195,000. Ouch.
Carmat says it already has some more patients lined up for early human trials. The procedures will be deemed successful if the patients survives with the implant for over a month. Carmat says the heart could help up to 100,000 patients across the US and Europe.
“This news brings great pride to France,” said France’s Health Minister Marisol Touraine. “It shows we are pioneers in healthcare, that we can invent, that we can carry an innovation that will also bring great hope to plenty of people.”
“We are delighted with this first implant, although it is premature to draw conclusions given that a single implant has been performed and that we are in the early postoperative phase,” said Carmat’s CEO Marcelo Conviti in a statement.
Source: The Verge
Published: Dec 22, 2013 01:53 am