Artificial Heart Transplant Completed For First Time In World History With French Company's Design
ByFor the first time in world history, a team of doctor's implanted in a patient an artificial heart in what was classified as a successful procedure.
According to the Wall Street Journal, CARMAT confirmed the procedure of its artificial heart. The French company claims to have designed and made the world's most advanced artificial heart for patients suffering from end-stage heart failure.
The Georges Pompidou European Hospital team in Paris, France, performed the world's first artificial heart transplant on Dec. 18. The patient is currently awake and able to talk to his family. The procedure was reportedly very smooth, but the patient is being in monitored in the intensive care unit as a precaution.
"We are delighted with this first implant, although it is obviously far too early to draw conclusions given that this is the first such implant and surgery has only just been performed", said Marcello Conviti, Chief Executive Officer of CARMAT.
Chronic acute heart failure is the world's leading cause of death and CARMAT's new product aims to provide a response to such cases. Chronic acute heart failure affects more than 100 million patients in developed countries and an artificial heart could possibly be the answer to problems faced by the tens of thousands of people who experience heart failure and need a transplant.
CARMAT's artificial heart imitates a real heart in size, structural materials and physiological functions. Transplants with the artificial heart would ensure patients with no risk of rejection, eliminate wait lists and provide a restored quality of life.
With early promise for the project, it is still in clinical trials. The European Commission granted the project with a record subsidy of for an SME by Bpifrance for a total of 33 million Euros.
The next phase for CARMAT will be to ensure their artificial heart does pass its current clinical trials.