Elderly woman receives minimal implantation of world's smallest artificial heart Photo: Screenshot from Niu Video

An elderly woman, aged in her 60s, was successfully implanted with the world's smallest artificial heart weighing 90 grams in a minimally invasive procedure, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The 62-year-old woman surnamed Wang, was transferred to Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, for treatment in early January due to a worsening heart disease. At that time, she had difficulty to breathe even with slight movement. One night, while chatting with her family, she suddenly lost consciousness due to severe arrhythmia. With her condition critical and a suitable heart donor not readily available, the implantation of an artificial heart became her only hope. 

On January 10, the hospital successfully performed the surgery on Wang by implanting a globally smallest artificial heart weighing just 90 grams, which is about the size of a pocket watch. Unlike previous artificial heart implantations that required open-chest surgery, the operation was performed through small incisions on the left side of the chest and the sternum, measuring seven centimeters and four centimeters respectively.

The approach resulted in smaller trauma and faster recovery, which is also the first case in Zhejiang Province where the world's smallest artificial heart was implanted using a minimally invasive method.

"Now I no longer feel short of breath, and my overall physical condition is very good. I am grateful to these doctors," Wang said.

Global Times