July 12, 2016

Heart transplantation is the “gold standard” in the treatment of end-stage heart failure. But because of the currently existing legal obstacles for heart transplantation in Ukraine, the only solution for patients is surgical “bridge” to transplant – a surgery of implantation of artificial heart.

For the first time in Ukraine, powered by electricity “artificial heart” – a high-tech development of German company Berlin Heart – was implanted to a patient diagnosed with DCMP (dilated cardiomyopathy), that provides the patient the full circulatory support at a time when the native heart is not capable. Motor constantly rotates turbine made of titanium, and using graphite and silicone tubes connected to the apex of the left ventricle and the aorta is able to maintain a long-term life of the patient, giving him the opportunity to wait for a donor heart transplant.

Successful operation for Paul Doroshko patient from Kharkov, was carried by the team of Heart Institute under the leadership of Director of the Institute Boris Todurov, together with Professor Christoph Schmid from Germany.
Symbolically, the transplantation of mechanical heart was performed by the same team of doctors, who in 2001 conducted the first heart transplantation in Ukraine.
The right to conduct the implantation of an artificial heart was obtained by the experts of the Heart Institute upon successful passing of the proper certification in Germany.

Currently, in Europe more than 300 patients are on artificial support of blood circulation, many of them for more than two years. The lifetime of the heart is not restricted, some patients live with them for more than 8 years.