BEIRUT, July 15 (NNN-NNA) – A team of Lebanese cardiologists, on Tuesday, successfully performed the first complete artificial heart transplant for a 22-year-old patient.
The operation was conducted at the Rassoul al Aazam Hospital, by a team headed by surgeon, Mohamed Saab, the report said.
The hospital stated that, this is the first time that such an operation was done in Lebanon, despite the difficult circumstances prevailing in the country.
The patient, who had left- and right-sided heart failure, was placed on the waiting list, within the National Committee for Transplant, for a natural heart to be available.
But the difficulty of securing a natural heart and the seriousness of the patient’s condition, prompted the surgeons to use an artificial heart that was installed through a 12-hour operation.
The artificial heart aims to provide an alternative to the human heart, pending a natural heart transplant.
The patient was in good condition and receiving regular monitoring at the hospital, the report said.