Northern Irish Man Becomes First To Receive World’s Smallest Heart Pump

Health and Medicine





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decade3d - anatomy online/Shutterstock

A Northern Ireland man is the first recipient of an artificial heart pump the size of a golf ball.

Harold Chivers, a 63-year-old man from Bangor, County Down, is the first person in the world to get the Miniaturized Ventricular Assist Device (MVAD) implanted.

The MVAD sits at the base of the heart, helping to pump blood around the organ. The device costs about £80,000, and is smaller than its precursors. Particular settings allow for the MVAD to adjust to the patient’s lifestyle and routines.