First heart transplant in KL

First heart transplant in KL

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's first heart transplant was performed successfully on a 51-year-old male, the National Heart Institute of Malaysia announced yesterday.

The four-hour operation, carried out by a team of 17 specialists, on Thursday culminated two years of preparation including experimental transplants on 11 sheep, the official news agency Bernama reported.

Following Thursday's operation, the recipient, who had been on the country's heart transplant waiting list for seven months diagnosed with "end stage heart failure," was awake and breathing on his own.

The patient, whose name was not released, will remain in intensive care for several days, said Yahya Awang, the chief surgeon of the Heart Institute.