China Pioneers the First Fully Magnetically Levitated Biventricular Assist System Implantation
China Health Trip takes you through the latest medical breakthroughs in China, showcasing the possibilities of advanced healthcare. Read on for more insights.
On 4 July 2024, a team of cardiovascular surgeons from the Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Wuhan Union Hospital) implanted a special ‘artificial heart’ for a patient from Henan province with total heart failure, with only one set of integrated power-assisted devices connected to two pumps to supply energy to the left and right ventricles, which is equivalent to installing two ‘engines’. Equivalent to the addition of two ‘engine’.
It is understood that this is the director of cardiovascular surgery Professor Dong Nanguo and Professor Xia Jiahong led the team, through the integration of medical and industrial, breaking the ‘two pumps, two controllers’ routine, independent research and development of a single control system dual ventricular auxiliary device of the ‘artificial heart’.
Professor Dong Nanguo said that the clinical application of this assist device is the first of its kind in the world, marking a major breakthrough in China’s artificial heart assist technology.
Innovative solution for heart failure
Among heart failure patients, left ventricular failure is the most common, making left ventricular assist (LVAD) the most widely used long-term MCS system. However, approximately 30% of patients with end-stage heart failure develop biventricular failure, i.e., insufficient ejection capacity in both the left and right ventricles. In addition, LVAD implantation alone enhances the left cardiac output while increasing the burden on the right heart, and according to the current international long-term follow-up after LVAD implantation, about 10-30% of patients will develop different degrees of right heart failure symptoms after LVAD implantation.
In the face of this challenge, although the total artificial heart (TAH) is an option, its large size, complex structure, and high price limit its clinical application. In contrast, the biventricular assist system (BiVAD) preserves the patient’s original heart, provides more balanced haemodynamic support, and is the future trend in the treatment of biventricular failure.
In April 2022, Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dong Nanguo, together with Shenzhen Core Medical, started to develop the ‘Single Control System Biventricular Assist Device’. After continuous debugging, a single ‘world’s first’ single control system DuoCor was born with an external device weighing only 0.8kg and a cable diameter of no more than 5mm, and on 31st May 2024, it applied for a national invention patent.
For the patient, it is an ultra-lightweight ‘artificial heart’, with a single pump head weighing just 90 grams, said Professor Dong Nanguo.
Surgical 0rocedure
The patient is a 57-year-old woman (height 155cm, weight 55kg), who has been suffering from chest tightness, breathlessness and fatigue since August 2018, and was diagnosed with cardiac insufficiency after a cardiac ultrasound examination revealed an enlarged left heart and abnormal segmental motion of the left ventricular wall. Magnetic resonance and PET examinations further revealed myocardial infarction and most of the fibrosis, and the LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) decreased to 19%. Later, despite medication, no significant recovery of cardiac function was observed, and the LVEF continued to be lower than 30%.20 In January 2024, the patient’s symptoms recurred, accompanied by dryness and vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty in lying down at night, and a significant decrease in activity endurance.
Diagnosis: dilated cardiomyopathy, end-stage heart failure, cardiac function class IV, INTERMACS class III; moderate tricuspid valve closure insufficiency, mild to moderate mitral valve closure insufficiency; sinus rhythm, frequent polymorphic premature ventricular beats; pulmonary nodules, segmental pulmonary atelectasis; coarctation of the aorta, carotid artery coarctation.
Under the careful treatment of the surgical team and the excellent effect of DuoCor, the patient’s condition improved significantly. On the first postoperative day, the endotracheal tube was successfully removed, and the cardiac ultrasound examination showed that the LVEF increased from 16% to 28%, the RVEF increased from 23% to 31%, the LVED was reduced from 5.9cm to 5.5cm, and the RA was reduced from 5.5cm to 4.8cm, and the next day the patient was able to carry out moderate rehabilitation activities under the guidance of the medical staff and resumed oral feeding, and the cardiac function was significantly recovered. On the fourth day after the operation, the patient was transferred to the general ward.
Introduction of the expert
He is a second-class professor, chief physician, doctoral tutor, director of cardiovascular surgery, director of organ transplantation centre and director of cardiac research institute of Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He is the president of the Cardiovascular Surgery Branch of Chinese Physicians Association, the vice chairman of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association, the vice chairman of the Expert Committee of the National Centre for Quality Control of Cardiovascular Diseases, the vice chairman of the Expert Committee of the National Centre for Quality Control of Heart Transplantation Techniques, the executive director of the Asian Society of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery (ASCVTS), the executive director of the American Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (AATS), the International Society for Minimally Invasive He is also a member of the American Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (AATS) and the International Society for Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery (ISMICS).
Focusing on the surgical treatment of critical heart failure, he has achieved a series of technological innovations and clinical translational achievements in heart transplantation, device supportive therapy for heart failure, and the development and application of novel cytochemical valve substitutes. He has presided over 12 national major/key projects, published 135 SCI papers in Eur Heart J and other international top professional journals as the first/corresponding author (15 papers with IF>10 points, 4 papers with IF>35 points), and edited 8 monographs; he has been authorised 27 patents for invention as the first inventor, and presided over the formulation of 8 industry specifications/consensus; he has won the second prize of the National Scientific and Technological Advancement and the ministerial/provincial scientific and technological advancement award for being the first one to complete 1 project. He has won 1 second prize of National Scientific and Technological Progress, 1 special prize and 5 first prizes of ministerial/provincial scientific and technological progress.
China Pioneers the First Fully Magnetically Levitated Biventricular Assist System Implantation
China Health Trip takes you through the latest medical breakthroughs in China, showcasing the possibilities of advanced healthcare. Read on for more insights.
On 4 July 2024, a team of cardiovascular surgeons from the Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Wuhan Union Hospital) implanted a special ‘artificial heart’ for a patient from Henan province with total heart failure, with only one set of integrated power-assisted devices connected to two pumps to supply energy to the left and right ventricles, which is equivalent to installing two ‘engines’. Equivalent to the addition of two ‘engine’.
It is understood that this is the director of cardiovascular surgery Professor Dong Nanguo and Professor Xia Jiahong led the team, through the integration of medical and industrial, breaking the ‘two pumps, two controllers’ routine, independent research and development of a single control system dual ventricular auxiliary device of the ‘artificial heart’.
Professor Dong Nanguo said that the clinical application of this assist device is the first of its kind in the world, marking a major breakthrough in China’s artificial heart assist technology.
Innovative solution for heart failure
Among heart failure patients, left ventricular failure is the most common, making left ventricular assist (LVAD) the most widely used long-term MCS system. However, approximately 30% of patients with end-stage heart failure develop biventricular failure, i.e., insufficient ejection capacity in both the left and right ventricles. In addition, LVAD implantation alone enhances the left cardiac output while increasing the burden on the right heart, and according to the current international long-term follow-up after LVAD implantation, about 10-30% of patients will develop different degrees of right heart failure symptoms after LVAD implantation.
In the face of this challenge, although the total artificial heart (TAH) is an option, its large size, complex structure, and high price limit its clinical application. In contrast, the biventricular assist system (BiVAD) preserves the patient’s original heart, provides more balanced haemodynamic support, and is the future trend in the treatment of biventricular failure.
In April 2022, Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dong Nanguo, together with Shenzhen Core Medical, started to develop the ‘Single Control System Biventricular Assist Device’. After continuous debugging, a single ‘world’s first’ single control system DuoCor was born with an external device weighing only 0.8kg and a cable diameter of no more than 5mm, and on 31st May 2024, it applied for a national invention patent.
For the patient, it is an ultra-lightweight ‘artificial heart’, with a single pump head weighing just 90 grams, said Professor Dong Nanguo.
Surgical 0rocedure
The patient is a 57-year-old woman (height 155cm, weight 55kg), who has been suffering from chest tightness, breathlessness and fatigue since August 2018, and was diagnosed with cardiac insufficiency after a cardiac ultrasound examination revealed an enlarged left heart and abnormal segmental motion of the left ventricular wall. Magnetic resonance and PET examinations further revealed myocardial infarction and most of the fibrosis, and the LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) decreased to 19%. Later, despite medication, no significant recovery of cardiac function was observed, and the LVEF continued to be lower than 30%.20 In January 2024, the patient’s symptoms recurred, accompanied by dryness and vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty in lying down at night, and a significant decrease in activity endurance.
Diagnosis: dilated cardiomyopathy, end-stage heart failure, cardiac function class IV, INTERMACS class III; moderate tricuspid valve closure insufficiency, mild to moderate mitral valve closure insufficiency; sinus rhythm, frequent polymorphic premature ventricular beats; pulmonary nodules, segmental pulmonary atelectasis; coarctation of the aorta, carotid artery coarctation.
Under the careful treatment of the surgical team and the excellent effect of DuoCor, the patient’s condition improved significantly. On the first postoperative day, the endotracheal tube was successfully removed, and the cardiac ultrasound examination showed that the LVEF increased from 16% to 28%, the RVEF increased from 23% to 31%, the LVED was reduced from 5.9cm to 5.5cm, and the RA was reduced from 5.5cm to 4.8cm, and the next day the patient was able to carry out moderate rehabilitation activities under the guidance of the medical staff and resumed oral feeding, and the cardiac function was significantly recovered. On the fourth day after the operation, the patient was transferred to the general ward.
Introduction of the expert
He is a second-class professor, chief physician, doctoral tutor, director of cardiovascular surgery, director of organ transplantation centre and director of cardiac research institute of Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He is the president of the Cardiovascular Surgery Branch of Chinese Physicians Association, the vice chairman of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association, the vice chairman of the Expert Committee of the National Centre for Quality Control of Cardiovascular Diseases, the vice chairman of the Expert Committee of the National Centre for Quality Control of Heart Transplantation Techniques, the executive director of the Asian Society of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery (ASCVTS), the executive director of the American Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (AATS), the International Society for Minimally Invasive He is also a member of the American Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (AATS) and the International Society for Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery (ISMICS).
Focusing on the surgical treatment of critical heart failure, he has achieved a series of technological innovations and clinical translational achievements in heart transplantation, device supportive therapy for heart failure, and the development and application of novel cytochemical valve substitutes. He has presided over 12 national major/key projects, published 135 SCI papers in Eur Heart J and other international top professional journals as the first/corresponding author (15 papers with IF>10 points, 4 papers with IF>35 points), and edited 8 monographs; he has been authorised 27 patents for invention as the first inventor, and presided over the formulation of 8 industry specifications/consensus; he has won the second prize of the National Scientific and Technological Advancement and the ministerial/provincial scientific and technological advancement award for being the first one to complete 1 project. He has won 1 second prize of National Scientific and Technological Progress, 1 special prize and 5 first prizes of ministerial/provincial scientific and technological progress.
