The FDA made an exception and permitted the use of the Berlin Heart pump, which is approved for use throughout Europe but not the United States, to keep 5-year-old Joseph Greenwood alive as he awaited a heart transplant.
This is a heart wrenching story that introduced me to the Berlin Heart pump. It seems to be able to keep patients alive for up to several months while waiting for a transplant. Sounds like a wonderful maching.
Tags: Berlin heart Pump, Heart Failure, CPR
Powered by Qumana
5-year-old Jason Zhao from Vallejo, Calif., received the best Valentine's gift he could ask for—a healthy new heart. But Jason, whose own heart failed last June, wouldn't have lived long enough to accept the transplant without the assistance of a mechanical external pump known as the Berlin Heart. The device kept Jason alive for 234 days at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, longer than any other child in North America. Only three other children in the world have survived longer than that on the pump.
Tags: Berlin Pump
Powered by Qumana
