Sand he is 14 years old. At present she is returning to her previous life, after a heart transplant, made a few months ago. Until the intervention, she was connected to a suitcase that kept her alive. In it, there was a device known as a ventricular assist device. But not just any one. Although these devices typically weigh about 80 kilos and are transported on a support with small wheels, this only weighs 9 kilos. Also, thanks to larger wheels, the appearance from the outside of it was that it carried with it some kind of Cabin bag.
This gave him more security to go out, as it saved him some prying eyes. In addition, being much more comfortable to transport, it allowed him to take walks and even go to the movies. So, as explained from Chain BEpatients can remain active and arrive at the heart transplant in better health.
The case of Arena has been the first in Spain in which this smaller device has been used. In fact, only 85 have been used worldwide, so the Peace Hospital, where this girl has been operated on, is a pioneer in this. It can be said that all these patients have been able to carry their hearts in their suitcases. Although we should not confuse this device with an artificial heart.
Help in the suitcase before the heart transplant
The ventricular assist devices replace the functions of a damaged heart. It is not a synthetic organ, but a device that is connected to the heart to give him support in three different cases.
On the one hand, as in the case of Arena, they can be used to buy time until a heart transplant. That is, they are used as bridge to transplant.
They can also be implanted forever, when there is heart failure. In those cases, they are said to serve as destination therapy.
Finally, if the patient takes it alone until they recover from a condition that causes heart failure, it is a case of bridge to recovery
For Arena, this bridge to transplantation has been ideal until he was able to receive the organ. she had a congenital cardiomyopathy with which he was able to lead a normal life until he was twelve years old. However, at that age she got worse and a new heart became necessary. Until he arrived, she carried her heart in her suitcase.
It’s not an artificial heart
artificial hearts are prosthesis which are implanted to replace a damaged heart. Therefore, the biological organ must be removed first, so that it can replace it.
What Arena carried in her suitcase is not an artificial heart, much less a real one. Nor is it her heart, as such. It is a device that has been lending a hand to her own heart to hold on until that of a donor.
Thanks to the heart transplant, she is now gradually returning to the normal life of a 14-year-old girl. Spain is a country leader in transplantsso we can be very proud of stories like yours.