First Baby with artificial heart in Japan (BILD)

Berlin (ots) -

For the first time in the history of Japan it was possible
for doctors at the University of Tokyo, on August 2, 2012, to
save a small child who was seriously suffering from a severe
heart condition, aided by a Berlin Heart EXCOR® ventricular assist
device. From a medical point of view the 14-month-old girl would
only have been able to survive a few more weeks without the
ventricular assist device. Now the artificial heart has taken over
the pumping function of the completely weakened heart. Until a donor
heart is found for the girl, weighing only seven kilograms, her
life depends on the mechanical artificial heart.

The little patient would very probably not have survived waiting
for transplantation in Japan, or for transport to another country
for transplantation without the mechanical support. Assisted by
the EXCOR® VAD, the infant could be stabilized well enough to be able
to wait for transplantation.

The ventricular assist device EXCOR® from the German company
Berlin Heart has been successfully employed in more than 1,100
children worldwide since its first implantation in 1990. It is
the only system which can support all patients from newborns up
to young people and adults such that they can survive until
the heart transplantation. The EXCOR® VAD is used in 138
centers in 34 countries for bridging the often long waiting
periods - in Europe 57.5% of the patients wait longer than one
year for a new heart. Occasionally the heart can also
recover so well, due to the mechanical support, that the assist
device can be explanted and the patient can continue to live with
their own heart.

The implantation was performed by Professor Ono and
Professor Murakami, with medical advice from Professor Wearden
(Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh) and clinical specialists from
the Berlin Heart company from Germany and the USA, and at the
same time constitutes the beginning of the approval study for
the EXCOR® Pediatric VAD in Japan. The goal of the approval study is
to be able to supply all of the pediatric patients with this
therapy. In Europe, the USA and many countries in South America and
Asia, this system is already available to patients.

It was announced from clinical circles that the little patient
is doing well after the operation.

About Berlin Heart

Berlin Heart GmbH is the only company worldwide which
develops, manufactures and distributes both implantable
ventricular assist devices and systems lying external to the body
for patients with heart disease of all ages and body sizes. The
systems INCOR®, EXCOR® Adult and EXCOR® Pediatric support short-
to long-term pumping function of the heart and thus present
a life-saving therapy possibility for the patient. Furthermore
the user can access clinical and technical support around the
clock. Berlin Heart is the market leader in Germany and Europe.

About EXCOR® The EXCOR® VAD is employed for mechanical heart
support for patients who suffer from terminal stage heart failure.
To date, EXCOR® has been used in more than 3,000 patients
worldwide, from new-borns with a body weight of 2.2 kg up to adults.

Contact:
Berlin Heart GmbH
Katharina Schubert
Marketing & PR
Wiesenweg 10
12247 Berlin
schubert@berlinheart.de