This is a milestone for this form of therapy. The Berlin heart pump has been reliably supporting Wolfgang A.'s heart since 2007. This patient from Eberswalde is one of the few patients in the world who has worn a ventricular assist device for such a long period of time.
At the age of 50, Wolfgang A. received a diagnosis of ischemic cardiomyopathy. The abnormal weakness of his cardiac muscle meant that his heart was no longer pumping enough blood through his body. While the patient was waiting for a suitable donor heart, his condition worsened visibly. On March 4, 2007, physicians from the German Heart Center Berlin implanted Mr. A. with the INCOR® system, thus saving his life.
Today, ten years later, the patient from Eberswalde only comes into the Heart Center for follow-up visits. Wolfgang A. is satisfied with this ventricular assist device. He is also proud to be the first patient to live for one decade with the Berlin Heart system. "We congratulate Mr. A. on this special anniversary. A ten-year support period, during which a pump exchange was not necessary, is a great success and attests to the quality of our system", says Thomas Wöhling, Director of Sales & Clinical Affairs at Berlin Heart.
Implantable heart pumps from Berlin – a success story
In 2002, physicians at the German Heart Center Berlin implanted an INCOR® pump in a patient for the first time ever. As a result, the heart of this first patient worldwide recovered so well that it was possible to explant the assist device after only six months. This was followed one year later with market approval for the European region, after completion of a comprehensive study. Since then, the Berlin Heart company has continuously improved its heart pump, thus helping cardiac patients to achieve a greater quality of life. With the help of ventricular assist devices such as INCOR®, seriously ill cardiac patients can return from their hospital beds back to their daily lives. At present, the life-saving system is being used in more than 20 countries.
About Berlin Heart
Berlin Heart GmbH develops, manufactures, and markets innovative ventricular assist devices (VADs) for mechanical circulatory support. With the EXCOR® Adult and the EXCOR® Pediatric, Berlin Heart is the only company in the world able to provide support to patients of every age and size, from infants to adults.
Berlin Heart’s systems provide left ventricular, right ventricular, or biventricular support (both sides); hospitals around the world use the system for short-, medium-, and long-term circulatory support, providing patients with a life-saving treatment option.
Users can also access round-the-clock medical and technical support.
The access to some or all shown products may be restricted by country-specific regulatory approvals. The use of EXCOR® VAD for adults, RVAD-support, Excor mobile and EXCOR® Active is not FDA-approved.