Mr Green is the first patient in the UK to receive a Total Artificial Heart implant and then go home. In a communiqué, Papworth Hospital stressed that the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart is not a permanent heart replacement.
Without the artificial heart Mr Green would not have survived the time needed to find a suitable heart, doctors said. He had been suffering from ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy), a disease of the heart muscle that causes arrhythmia, heart failure and sudden death. Over recent years his condition had been getting worse.
Mr Steven Tsui, Consultant Cardiothoracic surgeon and Transplant Service Director at Papworth Hospital, and team went to Paris for rigorous training beforehand. During the procedure they were assisted by Dr. Latif Arusoglu, a Total Artificial Heart Surgeon from Germany.
Tsui said:
“At any point in time there may be as many as 30 people waiting for a heart transplant on our waiting list at Papworth, with one third waiting over a year. Matthew’s condition was deteriorating rapidly and we discussed with him the possibility of receiving this device, because without it he may not have survived the wait until a suitable donor heart could be found for him.
The operation went extremely well and Matthew has made an excellent recovery. I expect him to go home very soon, being able to do a lot more than before the operation with a vastly improved quality of life, until we can find a suitable donor heart for him to have a heart transplant.”
Mr. Green said:
“I want to thank all the wonderful staff at Papworth Hospital who have been looking after me and who have made it possible for me to return home to my family. Two years ago I was cycling nine miles to work and nine miles back every day but by the time I was admitted to hospital I was struggling to walk even a few yards. I am really excited about going home and just being able to do the everyday things that I haven’t been able to do for such a long time such as playing in the garden with my son and cooking a meal for my family.”
While at home, the Freedom portable driver powers his Total Artificial Heart. He wears the device, which weighs 13.5 lbs, with a backpack or shoulder bag.
The Total Artificial Heart replaces the left and right ventricles and takes over the pumping of blood to the body.
“Total Artificial Heart “
Written by Christian Nordqvist