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A group of surgeons in North Carolina successfully transplanted an artificial heart into a patient, making history as the first team in the U.S. and North America to do so.
A surgical team at Duke University Hospital in Durham performed the historic procedure on 39-year-old Matthew Moore, of Shallotte, North Carolina on Monday (July 12), WRAL reports.
According to the news outlet, the company that developed the artificial heart, Carmat, received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020 to begin medical studies regarding the success or failure of the artificial heart. Carmat was allowed to enroll 10 patients with heart failure into the study to evaluate whether the organ could be a viable option before a typical transplant.
The successful procedure is inspiring hope for the future of transplants and patients who in the past who have had fewer options moving forward.
"We are encouraged that our patient is doing so well after the procedure Monday," said Carmelo Milano, M.D. Milano, principal investigator of the device study at Duke, led the surgery, along with Jacob Schroder, M.D. "As we evaluate this device, we are both excited and hopeful that patients who otherwise have few to no options could have a lifeline."