50 years ago, the first artificial heart transplant created by Argentinean surgeon Domingo Liotta

This April 4th are respected 50 years of the first total artificial heart transplant, technique created by the Argentine doctor Domingo Liotta with his American partner Denton Cooley. This operation performed in a Texas hospital five decades ago marked a "marker"in cardiovascular surgery.

"We were the first to install a orthotopic mechanical heart reproducing the conditions of real hearts. We did nothing more than imitate that we were using the material that it was at the time, "Liotta said several years ago in an interview about his important contribution to the history of the medicine.was very affected by heart failure and had already suffered several heart attacks so he was operated on Texas Herat Institute of Houston.

Fernando Cichero, President of the Ethics Committee of the College of Cardiovascular Surgeonshe recalled: "It was a play to see if the patient survived, he implanted the artificial heart and it worked, which shows that the technological and medical perspectives have no limits, they have succeeded in replacing a human heart with a mechanical heart ".

"Before, all the surgery books they said you could not touch the heartbut when we managed to perform surgery with the heart stopped using a machine, the prospect of how to treat them changed a lot, "said Cichero.

An Argentine revolution

At the same time that Liotta and Cooley managed to use an artificial heart, the first heart transplant was performed in the United States and the Argentine doctor René Favaloro He performed the first bypbad surgery, which meant a "revolution" for cardiovascular surgery. "Liotta's merit was to conceptualize the mechanism of implanting a "heart" plastic & # 39; in a human being."said Cichero, said that at the present time," a person can lead a normal life with an artificial heart, with some risks. "However, due to the progression of heart transplants, hearts are generally used today to be artificial to wait for surgery.

"Today, the artificial heart is used to wait for a donor, but for extreme situations, it helps them to continue beating, it serves as a" bridge "until the operation," a explained Jorge Tartaglione, cardiologist. "Fortunately the heart transplant This is a technology that is used dailyHere are professionals who work very well, "said Tartaglione, who said that" thanks to the Justina law, organ donation is much more important. "

A life dedicated to science

Liotta worked until 2006, currently 94 years oldHe was professor and vice-chancellor emeritus of the University of Morón. In addition to medical hygienist, Liotta badumed as Secretary of Health and was the author of Law 20.748, that created the National System of Public Health at the time who functioned as a physician staff of ex-president Juan Domingo Perón.

The original clinical prototype of Liotta-Cooley Total Artificial Heart was chosen in 2006 for its exposure prominently featured in the Smithsonian Institution's new exhibition area "The Treasures of American History".