A fourteen-year-old boy from Bosnia and Herzegovina has been discharged for home care following a successful recovery at the Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia “Dr Vukan Čupić” in Belgrade, after extremely complex treatment for terminal-stage dilated cardiomyopathy and the implantation of an artificial heart.
“Following the deterioration of his health condition and the development of cardiogenic shock, doctors at the Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia ‘Dr Vukan Čupić’ applied mechanical circulatory support (ECMO), and subsequently implanted a total artificial heart as a temporary solution until transplantation. The procedure was jointly performed by experts from the Mother and Child Health Care Institute of Serbia and the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases ‘Dedinje’,” stated the Institute’s announcement under the headline “a small heart, a big victory.”
According to them, this is one of the rare cases in the world and the first in Serbia in which a complete course of treatment including ECMO, implantation of a total artificial heart, intensive care, and rehabilitation was successfully carried out on a 14-year-old child. A large multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals across various specialties participated in the treatment.
After preparation, the boy was transported to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he is on the waiting list for a heart transplant, which, as stated by the Institute, is the only permanent solution for his condition. They also highlighted the successful cooperation between the healthcare institutions of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the expertise of the medical team and the boy’s exceptional courage during several months of treatment.
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Source: N1, Photo: Pixabay