hope for thousands of patients. The establishment Wednesday in a Paris hospital of a definitive artificial heart Carmat society, a world first, will be followed by many others in the coming weeks. “A number of patients are being selected, it is likely that in the coming weeks other settlements are made,” or at Georges Pompidou hospital (in Paris) or Marie-Lannelongue Plessis-Robinson, or at Nantes University Hospital, said Saturday Philippe Pouletty cofounder Carmat.
Four hospitals in Belgium, Poland, Slovenia and Saudi Arabia are also authorized for the operation. Three days after surgery, the patient carrying the heart Carmat, a 75 years old man, “going very well,” said Professor Jean-Noël Fabiani, Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery Hospital Georges Pompidou where she went.
Power
doctors hope to bring to the patient at least five years of life expectancy. Artificial hearts are implanted worldwide over the last ten years, but it was temporary machines placed in waiting for a transplant.
Carmat heart, “the goal is to get a normal life with an artificial heart. This is not a completely normal life, because there are some constraints, such as those related to the essential to make such a machine “function power, commented Professor Fabiani.
Congratulations François Hollande
Health Minister Marisol Touraine, wanted to “congratulate Professor Alain Carpentier and surgeons who have operated.” “This is a quantum leap that has been done,” she has said. “These are excellent prospects that open.”
President François Hollande has also addressed his “congratulations” and “encouragement” to Professor Carpentier and the team of surgeons at Georges Pompidou hospital. “I would like to extend my congratulations and encouragement. France can be proud of this outstanding action in the service of human progress, “the president wrote in a letter that the AFP has been copied.
100,000 patients
“This medical prowess, which is actually a technique discovered, is a great hope for patients suffering from advanced heart failure,” said Mr. Holland.
heart is intended for patients with terminal cardiac assist, too old to expect a transplant. A huge market: about 100,000 patients in Europe and the United States will not receive a transplant, failing grafts
.
But not everyone will benefit from this device 900 grams heavier than a human heart (300 g), which can be implanted that among overweight people and is compatible with 70% of men and 25 chest % of those women.
Another obstacle is the price. This high-tech heart costs about 160,000 euros, as a transplant and surgical suites. Only the wealthy, unless the Social Security reimbursement, can afford it.
Carmat heart is the result of the obstinacy of Alain Carpentier, 80, brilliant inventor, in the late 60s, valves in animal tissues that have revolutionized the market for heart valves.
French industrial Success
At the time, he had sold his invention in California and is since 1968 the fortunes of laboratories Edwards and his not having convinced Rhône-Poulenc.
His great ambition is to create an artificial heart similar to the human heart. In the late 80s, as he told the Nouvel Observateur, he met Jean-Luc Lagardère, head of Matra (EADS future) who decides to help him with his engineers to create a French artificial heart. He says the project to a half dozen geniuses in mechanics, hydraulics, electronics, computers.
Beginthen twenty years of research. After the death of Jean-Luc Lagardère in 2003, EADS continues to support Carpentier and 2008 creates Carmat contraction of Carpentier and Matra, by seconding EADS engineers who worked on the artificial heart.
Aided by new financing Truffle funds and 33 million euros of public and publicly traded aid society Velizy, which will cost more than $ 100 million to its investors, approached the goal in recent years . For three years, she multiplied the tests on animals, including calves.
Professor Alain Carpentier Wednesday saw the culmination of 25 years of effort.
AFP
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