Teenager gets implanted heart device

HOUSTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Texas Children's Hospital says it is the first U.S. pediatric hospital to discharge a child with an implanted mechanical heart pump.

The patient, 16-year-old Francisco "Frank" DeSantiago, was implanted with an intracorporeal ventricular assist device -- a feat officials said was previously accomplished only at adult medical institutions. Santiago, who was implanted with a mechanical heart pump called the HeartMate II on May 19, was discharged Oct. 29.

"This is a promising next step for the care of children with heart failure as Frank is the first patient on record to be medically discharged from a pediatric hospital with a mechanical heart assist device," said Dr. David Morales, the pediatric cardiovascular surgeon who performed the surgery. "The device, which is implanted into the chest cavity near the heart, stays inside the body rather than outside. It has helped the patient grow stronger by allowing him to eat well, exercise and enjoy life.

"What's especially significant about De Santiago's case," Morales added, "is that his life outside the hospital signals a new era of possibilities for pediatric heart failure patients, especially as the number of cases diagnosed annually continues to rise. Until now, pediatric hospitals have kept patients in the hospital, if not the ICU, while awaiting transplant."

De Santiago was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which his heart was enlarged to more than twice a normal size and could not pump blood efficiently.