Hadassah medical team replaces entire heart with CARMAT device, offering new hope for end-stage heart failure patients
In a historic first for Israeli medicine, a 63-year-old man has received a total artificial heart in a pioneering operation performed at Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem.
The seven-hour surgery marked the country’s first complete heart replacement using a fully artificial device. It is one of only 114 such procedures ever conducted worldwide.
Unlike previous treatments in Israel that relied on partial mechanical devices like the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) — which supports only the heart’s left side — the newly implanted artificial heart replaces both ventricles. This advancement offers a critical option for patients with complete heart failure, where conventional therapies fall short.
“This was a major milestone in Israel, something unprecedented,” said Professor Offer Amir, director of Hadassah’s Heart Institute. He led the extensive months-long planning required for the complex procedure.
The artificial heart, developed by French company CARMAT, is constructed from titanium, animal tissue, and advanced sensors. In Israel, it is distributed by Tzamal Medical. The operation required two operating rooms — one to prepare the device and the other to remove the patient’s failing heart and connect him to a heart-lung machine.
Once implanted, the artificial heart gradually took over the work of pumping blood from the heart-lung machine. Eventually, it functioned entirely on its own, circulating blood through the patient’s body.
“This is the first time in Israel that we can offer a lifesaving treatment for patients whose entire heart has stopped functioning,” said Dr. Amit Korach, head of Hadassah’s cardiothoracic surgery department.
The multidisciplinary team included cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care experts, and CARMAT technicians. Among the key Hadassah staff involved were Dr. Alexander Lipey-Diamant, Dr. Rabea Asleh, Dr. Ayman Murar, and Dr. Ralitsa Stoynova.
Dr. Lipey-Diamant described the experience as transformative. “It felt like I was standing in the future,” he said.
The surgery followed months of intensive training and coordination. The medical team received special instruction in France, while logistical preparations involved collaboration with Israel’s Health Ministry and the patient’s insurance provider.
The patient had been suffering from advanced heart failure and severe respiratory distress. With no suitable human donor available and his condition rapidly deteriorating, doctors determined he was an ideal candidate for the artificial heart. The device is expected to provide him with at least two years of improved quality of life while he awaits a possible donor heart.
Hadassah Medical Organization said the operation marks a significant leap forward in Israeli cardiac care. The success of the transplant could pave the way for broader use of total artificial hearts in the country, bringing hope to patients previously considered untreatable.
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