(Image source from: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

One Decade With An Artificial Heart For Kolkata Man:- Kolkata based Santosh Dugar completed a decade with an artificial heart and he achieved a rare record as the longest survivors in the country with a prosthetic device that is implanted into the body. When the biological heart fails, doctors implanted an artificial heart to Santosh Dugar. He was diagnosed in 2000 and he got the machine implanted in 2009. Santosh Dugar suffered massive heart attacks after which the doctors took the decision.

Before this, he even underwent an unsuccessful stem cell therapy. The 63-year-old man is among the 120 patients in the country with an artificial heart. After suffering his first heart attack in 2000, he underwent an angioplasty and soon his heart pumping function failed. Even the stem therapy in AIIMS did not work for long. The artificial heart will take out the pumping function of the left ventricle of the weak heart. A power cable through the belly button connects this artificial heart to a portable system. Dugar needs to carry a bag with controller and battery. The batteries should be charged on time to keep the device pumping.

The device costed Dugar Rs 1 crore a decade ago. The device is made of titanium and the patient cannot undergo an MRI scan.