Czech doctors first in history to use special pump in treating acute heart failure

Doctors from the Prague-based Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM) have been the first in the world to use a special heart pump to save the life of a patient with an acute heart failure, IKEM spokesman Veronika Velčová told the Czech News Agency on Wednesday. Since January, four patients at IKEM were treated this way. The PHP HeartMate pump, induced directly into the heart through vessels in the groin, can replace the heart's function for 72 hours giving doctors a chance to decide about the best possible treatment.

Author: Ruth Fraňková