Okwara Joseph, a 31-year-old footballer from Uganda, got a new lease of life in Hyderabad when he was implanted the latest JARVIK post auricular (behind the ear) by a cardiothoracic and heart-lung mechanical assist devices team from the cardiology department of Yashoda Hospitals, Secunderabad.
According to a press release, Mr. Joseph had chest pain while playing football in April last year. He was diagnosed with coronary artery disease along with severe left ventricular dysfunction and had repeated hospital admissions at his native place with complaints of breathlessness, swelling of bilateral lower limbs and abdominal distension.
He was diagnosed with ischemic cardiomyopathy in Uganda and was brought here for further management in November last and admitted on December 13.
Senior cardiologist Dr. V. Rajasekhar and Cardiothoracic, Heart and Lung mechanical assist device team planned a left ventricular assist device as a destination therapy. Mr. Joseph was successfully operated on December 24. He was discharged on January 28.
JARVIK 2000 series is an advanced and latest L-VAD device that serves as a destination therapy for advance heart failure patients.