Jimu news reporter Liu Xun
Photojournalist Wang Yongsheng
Intern Li Qinwei Wen Guangbin
Correspondents Nie Wenwen, Peng Jinxian, and Liu Kunwei
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They are people with severe heart failure and can't get a heart transplant. In order to save life, emergency implantation of "artificial heart" to save lives. On July 13, the three "Iron Man" gathered for the first time at the Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as "Union Hospital") for review, in addition to carrying batteries to the heart for many years to "provide energy", they are no different from normal people, and also ushered in a different life.
Professor Dong Nianguo, director of the Department of Cardiac And Macrovascular Surgery of the hospital, said with emotion that for terminal-stage patients with hearts who cannot complete heart transplantation in time, artificial hearts undoubtedly provide the best solution.
Professor Dong Nianguo, director of the Department of Cardiac and Macrovascular Surgery of Union Hospital, took a group photo with the three "Iron Man"
Implanting an "artificial heart" to save lives at a critical moment
On July 13, 33-year-old Liao Cui returned to the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Union Hospital for a review, with a rosy complexion and a cheerful laugh, and the experts who operated on him at that time could not believe that this was a dying heart failure patient. Liao Cui sighed, "At that time, I vomited when I drank water, thinking that my life had come to an end." ”
In 2017, Liao Cui, who had just given birth to a baby, ran to many hospitals across the country due to continuous breathing difficulties, and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, and the only way was to "change his heart", Liao Cui could not accept this reality. But as her condition continued to deteriorate, she was emaciated at 1.68 meters tall and weighed less than 40 kilograms.
In June 2019, she came to Union Hospital, and fate joked again. The preoperative examination found that Liao Cui's pra antibody (population reactive antibody) tested positive for 90%, compared with only 10% in normal people, which means that once a heart transplant is done, the body will have a strong rejection reaction.
"Only implanting an 'artificial heart' is the only effective way at the moment." Professor Dong Nianguo, director of the Organ Transplant Center of Union Hospital and director of the Department of Cardiac Androvascular Surgery, proposed a plan. It was this operation that allowed Liao Cui to be reborn.
This time, there is also an "Iron Man" Tian Guangwei. He was plagued by dilated cardiomyopathy for 5 years, his condition continued to deteriorate, and in 2018 he was ready to "change his heart" in Xiehe, but he weighed 212 pounds, and could not wait for the "high horsepower" to provide the heart, in order to save his life, he finally assisted the artificial heart. Mr. Tian is grateful, he can only sit every night, breathlessness, it is this "heart" that continues life.
"Iron Man" lives a new life with a battery on his back
On July 13, the Jimu News reporter saw that the "artificial heart" is mainly composed of four parts: blood pump, drive device, monitoring system, and energy, and the blood pump is placed in the patient's left ventricle tip position, about 180 grams, and is connected to the in vitro controller and battery through a wire to maintain blood circulation in the body. Patients need to carry a backpack, place the controller and battery, usually pay attention to the cleaning, disinfection, dressing change at the wire connection, and pay attention to waterproofing.
"The heart feels a little heavier, and there is more 'baggage' wherever I go." Liao Cui pointed to the small backpack on his body, which contained a steel heart external controller and battery, weighing about 5 kilograms. She said that at first, she did not adapt, and did not dare to go out on rainy days. 3 months after the operation, she gradually adapted, now a happy family, her daughter is 4 years old, she also opened an online shop to bring goods, from fruit to fast food, to clothing, the surrounding people affectionately call her "grocery store owner". Cheerful and talkative, she often shares her life with relatives, friends and neighbors. "I didn't expect to be able to have a healthy, normal life."
Three "Iron Man" praised Union Hospital
Tian Guangwei is also satisfied with his life today. Not long ago, he and his wife and friends drove to Anhui and climbed the Huangshan Mountains. "It used to be difficult to even stay in bed, but now I can do it," said Tian Guangwei, who walked nearly 30,000 steps that day, not only that, but usually did some exercise, and climbed 3 or 4 floors in one breath without much breath. "I've lost almost 60 pounds." Tian Guangwei hopes that with the help of this steel heart, the heart function will slowly recover, and strive to remove the artificial heart pump one day.
Artificial heart controller
It makes up for the shortage of technical gaps in the "heart source"
It is understood that the current domestic existing cardiac mechanical assistance methods, in addition to ecmo, and then is the "artificial heart", known as ventricular assist device (vad) in the industry, just starting in China.
Schematic diagram of an artificial heart
Dong Nianguo introduced that the pump of this "mechanical heart" makes a home in the patient's left ventricle, drains the blood from the atrium or ventricle to the auxiliary device, boosts the pressure through the blood pump, and then transfuses it back into the arterial system, replacing the heart "work" and maintaining blood circulation, which is an effective means of treating end-stage and severe heart failure.
Director Dong Nianguo commissioned artificial heart instruments for patients
According to statistics, the number of cardiovascular disease patients in China at this stage is 330 million, and the number of patients with central force failure has reached 8.9 million, and heart transplantation is the last hope of patients with terminal heart failure. For patients who cannot have a heart transplant, the "artificial heart" is the most appropriate and effective way to regenerate, and it also buys time for more patients with terminal heart failure to "change their heart" surgery.
Director Dong Nianguo introduced the situation of artificial heart transplantation
As the largest heart failure treatment center in China, Concord Cardiac Macrovascular Surgery is one of the earliest centers in China to carry out "artificial heart" implantation surgery, and 5 cases have been completed so far. At the same time, Dong Nianguo's team is also participating in the "upgrade" of artificial heart: more versatile, more durable, more compact, benefiting patients with end-stage heart disease.
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