[Explanation] On November 10, 2020, Mr. Song received China's first listed artificial heart (left ventricular assist system) implantation at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital.
After more than a year, are he and his artificial heart okay?
On January 7, in the People's Hospital of Pengshan District, Meishan City, Sichuan Province, a doctor was changing the dressing for Mr. Song's incision. There was a pull-rod cart beside him. The power system on the car was connected to his body through a wire conduit. connected to the artificial heart.
[Explanation] It is understood that Mr. Song suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy before undergoing artificial heart implantation surgery, and has been in end-stage heart failure, with a life expectancy of less than 1 year.
More than a year after the operation, Mr. Song's life was back on track, with good indicators and a weight gain of more than 10 kilograms.
[Concurrent] Mr. Song, the first patient with artificial heart implantation on the market in China
I have to come (re-examination) twice a month. To come for a re-examination is to "add water" to the machine first, and then the outpatient clinic to see how the wound is, whether it is good or bad now.
This year has changed a lot. When I first came back, I felt uncomfortable. Now it has changed a lot. Now people are very comfortable. They can eat and eat well.
[Explanation] Kou Wei, the attending physician of the Cardiology Department of the People's Hospital of Pengshan District, Meishan City, is Mr. Song's first diagnosis and the chief doctor in the local hospital.
According to Kou Wei, the artificial heart needs to have energy supply anytime and anywhere, and it is not possible to implant batteries in the patient's body at present, and it must rely on an external power source to supply energy.
To this end, the hospital specially opened up a green channel for Mr. Song to reduce the trouble he may have while waiting for a doctor.
[Concurrent] Kou Wei, Attending Physician, Department of Cardiology, Pengshan District People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province
After the patient left home, he had to rely on the battery to keep the machine running.
Every time we come to change medicine, prescribe medicine, and do inspection, we will try our best to find a way to make him complete as soon as possible.
We also established a power outage emergency plan with the local village committee, that is, if the local power outage occurs and he has no power supply at this time, then we will find a way to take him over as soon as possible to ensure that his artificial heart has sufficient power supply.
[Explanation] The success of the operation is only the first step in rebirth.
Now, in addition to maintaining the stable operation of the artificial heart, Mr. Song also needs to regularly go to the hospital to review the dressing changes and "add water" to the artificial heart.
[Concurrent] Kou Wei, Attending Physician, Department of Cardiology, Pengshan District People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province
His artificial electronic heart needs sterilized water to maintain its operation, and that water can play a flushing and lubricating role in it.
Then every day (sterilization) water will consume about 0.2 to 0.3 ml, which is about this number, so we will regularly add about 5 ml of sterilized water to it (artificial heart) every two weeks to one month. to maintain the normal operation of the machine.
The location of the incision also needs frequent maintenance, and it needs to be regularly disinfected and managed.
The patient also required long-term oral anti-heart failure drugs after surgery.
We should constantly monitor various indicators of his body, and adjust his drug treatment through changes in his indicators.
[Explanation] According to current global statistics, about 10% to 15% of patients with advanced heart failure have fully recovered their cardiac function after implantation of an artificial heart, and the artificial heart will eventually be removed.
Mr. Song said that maybe one day he can remove the artificial heart and return to a normal life completely.
[Concurrent] Kou Wei, Attending Physician, Department of Cardiology, Pengshan District People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province
He can prepare in two ways. The first is to wait for a heart transplant. If there is a suitable heart source, he can also do a transplant.
For the second, if the conditions do not allow it, or if there is no suitable heart source, this kind of machine can also continue to maintain his living state.
Reported by Chen Xuanbin and Li Jieyi from Meishan, Sichuan
Responsible editor: [Chen Wentao]