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For many people with a cardiac illness, transplantation is the only solution to save their lives. Unfortunately, organs are not always available when we need them and because of this, many people die while waiting for an organ donation.
The mechanical heart (VAD = Ventricular Assist Device) can now keep a patient alive for a longer period while waiting for a suitable donor. As well, this device diminishes the heart's pumping effort which can lead to an actual improvement in the overall cardiac status.
Berlin Heart blood pump 
Ikus stationary driving unit |
This mechanical heart adapted especially for children was first produced in 1922 in Berlin, Germany. It is not yet available in North America. To date a total of 34 patients in Germany have received a mechanical heart; 6 with a diagnosis of myocardium (Diane, I am not sure of the term in English). The Montreal Children's Hospital was the first centre in Canada to implant a mechanical heart. The heart was rented from the German company, BerlinHeart, in order to save the life of Émile, a little boy two years old. The operation which was performed on March 15, 2002 was a success. This mechanical heart enables a child to wait for a human heart with much fewer complications than the ECMO. Doctors Christo Tchervenkov, Renzo Cecere and Dominique Shum-Tim performed the implant of the mechanical heart. |
ECMO machine
Émile connected to the ECMO apparatus
The Berlin Heart implanted in Émile
The Berlin Heart implanted in Émile
Berlin Heart implanted in Émile
Émile
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