Artificial heart patient dies

The patient died despite heart surgery

A man given an artificial heart designed to last decades has died - just five days after the device was inserted.

Surgeons carried out the pioneering 14-hour operation in Tel Aviv, Israel, on a 64-year-old man who, because of complications, was not able to receive a conventional heart transplant.

He was given a device called HeartMate Two which sits in the body alongside the existing heart.

In spite of the fact that we are very sad at the patient's death we are very optimistic about the new device

Dr Jacob Lavee, Sheba Medical Centre

Dr Jacob Lavee, head of the transplant unit at Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv, said the patient's death stemmed from previous damage caused by a severe heart condition.

He said: "Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that the heart functioned flawlessly during the five days after the operation, the (prior) damage to the vital systems eventually caused the patient's death."

HeartMate Two is essentially a battery-powered electric pump which can take over the work of the a chamber of the heart called the left ventricle.

Dr Lavee said: "In spite of the fact that we are very sad at the patient's death we are very optimistic about the new device which has proven itself to be very efficient and to function without any problem.

"Our plan is to pursue the use of the new device in patients suffering from terminal heart failure, planning next time to offer it to a patient in somewhat less grave condition than our first patient."

The device was developed in the US at Pittsburg University, but the American authorities were reluctant to approve its use until it had already been shown to work elsewhere.