Boy gets mechanical heart

A 15-year-old boy has become the first Malaysian to receive a mechanical heart device.
The National Heart Institute (IJN) said in a statement that the boy was now conscious and able to communicate with his parents after the surgery to implant an Implantable Ventricle Assist Device (IVAD) system.
The surgery was performed by a team of cardiothoracic surgeons led by Chief Cardiothoracic Surgeon Datuk Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub.
The surgery on the unidentified boy was done on Saturday.
“There were no complications and he is now recovering in the intensive care unit.
“He had to undergo surgery as he suffered from valvular cardiomyopathy and his condition had been deteriorating.
“The IVAD system was deemed necessary to improve his condition,” the statement said.
The boy is expected to remain in intensive care for a few more days.
The statement further said that the mechanical heart implanted in the boy was a first in the Asian and Australasian region.
It also said the team of professionals who performed the surgery had undergone a month of intensive training in Germany, and further training in the United States and at IJN.
The IVAD is implanted in the patient's abdomen, in a pocket created at the abdominal wall, and connected to the left side of the heart.
Source