On Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, the surgical team from Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, led by Prof. Mustafa Ozbaran, head of the Transplant and Assist Device Program, completed the first phase of certification training for the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart in Paris.
“We are excited to deliver this technology to our sickest patients who do not have any other chance to survive until a donor heart is available,” said Prof. Ozbaran. “The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is an important and complementary tool for our assist device program.”
Ege University is one of the biggest and oldest universities in Turkey. The heart transplant program, started in 1998, has become the most active program in the country, performing a total of 130 transplants. Each year, Ege University performs approximately 1,100 open heart surgeries.
In Turkey, the average wait time for a donor heart transplant is 18 to 24 months. There are currently 43 patients on the waiting list for a donor heart. Ege University is the first transplant hospital in Turkey and the 46th in the world to begin certification training for the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart.
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