LVAD HeartMate 3 (left ventricular assist device) is an auxiliary device of the left ventricle of the heart, which provides mechanical support for blood circulation. The device is implanted during open heart surgery to act as a pump, thereby helping the heart to effectively expel blood and oxygenate the entire body. The device is connected via a cable to an external monitoring system and batteries, which must be charged periodically.
The Heart Center UMC team performed the first implantation of this device in 2014. The Center was included in an international clinical trial, which involved five of the most advanced medical centers in the world. Thus, the first implantation of HeartMate 3 in Kazakhstan took place at the Heart Center. The team was the first to successfully pass clinical trials and continue their practice, which allowed the Center to become one of the 22 best clinics in the world that perform the most complex heart operations. Since then, the device has become a "heart mate" to more than 500 patients with severe forms of heart disease in our country.
«We are honored to be a part of this program and to help patients with end-stage heart failure. The implantation of this device is a creature of human talent and mind, generated to save and prolong life. Therefore, 10 years since the implementation of the program is an important event for us» Yuriy Pya, Chairman of the Board of the University Medical Center
According to statistics, cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in the world. In Kazakhstan, the issue of timely diagnosis and prevention of heart disease remains relevant to this day. In advanced forms of heart failure, patients may need a donor organ transplant. However, a low level of post-mortem donation and the awareness of the population require the search for other solutions to save patients’ lives. One of these solutions is the LVAD HeartMate 3 device, which is often called the "bridge to transplantation", as it helps to significantly improve the quality of patients’ life.
«At the moment, out of 94 patients who underwent donor heart transplants at the clinic, 46% were on mechanical circulatory support. Thus, the device helped them to make it for the operation. Today, with the support of the Ministry of Healthcare, we are developing a program on chronic heart failure with our colleagues cardiologists, conducting training on patient management. And by the end of last year, about 400 patients with terminal stage of heart failure were officially identified» Makhabbat Bekbossynova, Deputy Chairman of the UMC Board
«The duty of our service is connected with the constant monitoring of the condition of patients after implantation of the LVAD device. We explain in details about the procedure, the nuances of rehabilitation and also inform the relatives of patients about care, possible complications. After surgery, patients periodically undergo routine examinations and tests. Also, with the support of the Heart Center Foundation, the Amandyq mobile application was developed and implemented to track the condition of patients from a distance» Nail Khissamutdinov, head of LVAD service
Many years of experience allows to actively conduct master classes and trainings at the clinic for local and foreign colleagues to transfer experience, knowledge and develop affordable medical care. The technology is successfully used in the UMC branch at the Heart Center Shymkent, at the Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases in Almaty and at the Scientific and Clinical Center for Cardiac Surgery and Transplantology in Taraz. For citizens of Kazakhstan, implantation of the device is carried out free of charge within the framework of the state quota.
