Heart Center Leipzig: Implantation of an innovative artificial heart
In September 2025, the Heart Center Leipzig implanted an innovative heart support system in a 67-year-old patient with severe biventricular heart failure – only for the third time in Europe. The patient has been suffering from the consequences of severe heart failure for 16 years and has repeatedly received treatment in various hospitals during this time. Due to his age and significant comorbidities, a heart transplant was not an option for him: “Without the device, I would not have been able to continue living,” Frank Schulz describes his condition before the procedure. With the implantation of the DuoCor BiVAS, he received a new, individually tailored therapeutic option adapted to his medical condition and personal goals.
What makes it special: the new artificial heart is a biventricular system that mechanically supports both heart chambers – left and right. Typically, systems that replace or support both ventricles are significantly larger and therefore impose greater limitations on patients in their daily lives. For this very reason, Frank Schulz was critical of the implantation of a conventional system. The innovative support system follows a different approach: two combined pumps are implanted intracorporeally. Each pump weighs only around 90 grams (approximately 180 grams in total). The system is connected via a slim cable to an external controller powered by two batteries. The aim of this compact design is to facilitate mobility and ease of use in everyday life.
“I used to be very active, and in recent years heart failure has increasingly limited me. I chose the new support system so as not to give up on my dreams and – if possible – to return, at least in part, to my former life. Thanks to the innovative solution provided by the Heart Center Leipzig and the continuous support of my family, I am now once again looking forward to the small everyday things, such as spring and simply going outside,” Frank Schulz concludes.
The system was used as part of a so-called “off-label use” outside of regular approval, within the context of clinical application, as the DuoCor BiVAS has so far been used exclusively for study purposes. Prerequisites included comprehensive patient counseling, documented informed consent, and closely coordinated procedures with all parties involved – including health insurance providers and medical committees. The successful implantation contributes to the further development of the system. For the Heart Center Leipzig, this approach reflects its own standards of care and commitment to providing advanced treatment options.
Dr. med. Michal Nozdrzykowski, Senior Physician for Mechanical Circulatory Support in Heart Center Leipzig, says:
“Our goal is to find the right solution for every patient, even when standard treatment options are not medically or personally viable. The foundation for this is our extensive experience in treating advanced heart failure, including heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support”
For the implantation of the DuoCor BiVAS, Dr. med. Michal Nozdrzykowski was able to draw on his many years of experience. In addition, he prepared extensively for the procedure: he met with experts from other hospitals and countries and practiced the intervention on a model. The entire treatment was carried out by a multiprofessional team. “Everyone has to support such a highly complex and innovative procedure—it cannot be done alone, only together.”
Close collaboration between physicians and nursing staff from the departments of cardiac surgery, cardiology, intensive care medicine, and anesthesiology, as well as the operating room teams and intensive care nurses, cardiac technicians, psychologists, physiotherapists, and nutrition therapists, was crucial in ensuring that the patient entered surgery optimally prepared and was subsequently transferred to the next phase of treatment in the best possible condition. In addition, the team at the Heart Center Leipzig was supported by the manufacturer and its technical expertise—both during the implantation phase and in the subsequent processes of technical management and follow-up care.
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