The life of a 63-year-old patient was saved thanks to a full artificial heart transplant performed in late May for the first time in Israel — at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. The complex operation was led by a large medical team that included cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive-care specialists, operating room nurses and a heart-lung machine technician.
The patient’s heart was removed and replaced with a special artificial heart made of titanium, combined with biological animal tissues and advanced sensors.
The intricate seven-hour surgery was managed like a full-scale operation with long and thorough preparation. It was made possible only after a Hadassah team traveled to France for specialized training, accompanied by local cardiac surgeons and representatives of the French company that developed the artificial heart. There, the team mastered the transplant procedure and trained the rest of the medical team upon returning to Israel.
Prof. Offer Amir, director of Hadassah's Heart Institute, led the operation and months of feasibility planning: “This is a major milestone in Israel — something unprecedented — so we needed extensive coordination with the patient’s HMO and the Ministry of Health, with the full backing of Hadassah’s leadership.”
The patient, a central-Israel resident, was in critical condition. He had long suffered from heart failure and severe breathing difficulties. His life was severely impaired, and he faced serious risk of death while waiting for a suitable donor heart. The expert team concluded that no other option could buy him time — yet tests also confirmed he was a good candidate for the artificial heart procedure.
Dr. Amit Korach, head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Hadassah Medical Organization and director of Israel’s first artificial heart transplant, explained that until now, Israeli patients requiring advanced cardiac devices received partial support systems — typically left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), which supplement the existing heart. These systems help patients with left-side heart failure but are ineffective when both chambers collapse.
“This is a historic event,” he said. “For the first time in Israel, we can offer a lifesaving solution for those whose entire heart has failed.”
“Our patient is currently the only person in Israel living with a fully artificial heart — without his original heart inside his body,” emphasized Dr. Korach. “Until now, only 114 such transplants have been performed worldwide. We are thrilled to report the procedure at Hadassah was successful, the artificial heart is functioning well, and the patient’s condition is improving daily with strong clinical indicators.”
During the critical moment in one of Hadassah Ein Kerem’s operating rooms, the artificial heart was prepared for implantation in a highly precise process that included the addition of artificial valves.
Simultaneously, in another operating room, the patient’s diseased heart was removed, and he was connected to a heart-lung machine to keep him alive during the transition.
Once the implant site was ready, the artificial heart was brought into the operating room and carefully connected to the body’s main blood vessels — returning blood from the body to the pump and sending it back out again.
Gradually, the surgical team reduced support from the heart-lung machine while increasing support from the new heart — until the patient was completely disconnected from external life support and the new heart was fully operational.
“It felt like I was standing in the future,” said Dr. Alexander Lipey-Diamant, head of Hadassah’s Adult Open Heart Surgery Unit, who led the operation alongside Prof. Rabea Asleh, head of Hadassah’s Heart Failure Unit; cardiac surgeon Dr. Ayman Murar, and senior anesthesiologist Dr. Ralitsa Stoynova.
“Until now, even the most advanced life-extending devices were connected to a patient’s original heart. This is the first time in Israel that a device has completely replaced the heart. The moment I saw the artificial heart working inside the patient’s chest and giving him life — I was awestruck by what modern medicine can achieve. This is the future, and it will help save countless lives by bridging the dangerous waiting period for donor hearts.”
The artificial heart was developed by the French company CARMAT, represented in Israel by Tzamal Medical, whose cardiac surgeon and two technicians also participated in this landmark operation.
Dr. Korach notes that the artificial heart will provide the patient with at least two full, high-quality years of life as he awaits a human heart transplant.
“In summary,” said Prof. Amir, “this was a meticulously planned operation executed by a large, harmonized team working with incredible precision. Thanks to the cardiologists, surgeons, heart-lung technicians, anesthesiologists, intensive care experts, nurses and everyone involved, we’ve given a patient who lived in suffering a brand-new lease on life.”
This medical breakthrough was covered in Israel Hayom.
