Doctors in Nanjing, China, have successfully implanted a pediatric artificial heart into the world’s youngest and lightest patient. Consequently, the operation marked a significant breakthrough for children with end-stage heart failure. The five-year-old patient, weighing only 13 kilograms, received a dual-ventricular magnetically levitated device. Moreover, this pediatric artificial heart demonstrates a clear shift from external to internal heart support.
The procedure lasted nine hours and took place at the Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University on August 20. Leading the surgery were Mo Xuming, the hospital’s honorary president, and Liu Xiaocheng, president of TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital in Tianjin. Additionally, the teams collaborated closely to ensure the complex operation’s success.
The patient had been diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy three years ago, a rare and severe heart condition. However, her condition worsened sharply in July, producing life-threatening symptoms. Therefore, doctors emphasized that the scarcity of donor hearts for young children made the pediatric artificial heart a necessary solution. It also served as a bridge to a potential heart transplant.
Remarkably, one week after surgery, the child could walk short distances and eat normally. Furthermore, the device weighs only 70 grams per pump and features low hemolysis with high biocompatibility. These qualities make it particularly suitable for young children. Compared with traditional external devices, such as the Berlin Heart EXCOR, the implantable system allows greater mobility and reduces infection risks.
Experts hailed the achievement as a milestone in pediatric cardiac care. “This development allows more low-weight children with severe heart failure to benefit from advanced magnetically levitated artificial hearts,” said Liu. As a result, the pediatric artificial heart brings these patients closer to the treatment quality previously available only to adults.
This breakthrough could also reshape the global landscape of pediatric mechanical circulatory support. Consequently, hospitals may now consider similar implantable devices, reducing reliance on bulky external systems. In addition, the success may encourage further research into lighter, safer, and more compatible devices for children.
Looking ahead, medical teams plan to monitor the patient’s recovery carefully and expand the pediatric artificial heart’s use to other critical cases. Meanwhile, the achievement underscores China’s growing role in advanced medical device development. Accordingly, families of children with severe heart conditions now have renewed hope thanks to this technological advance.
Ultimately, the pediatric artificial heart represents a key step toward improving survival rates and quality of life for the youngest heart failure patients worldwide.
