Published on Thursday, April 3, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica has positioned itself as a pioneer in Central America with its second successful mechanical heart surgery, performed at the Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia Public Hospital in San José, according to Social Security.

The surgery, which involves the implantation of a Heart-Mate-3 Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), a type of mechanical heart, marks a significant advancement in the treatment of advanced heart failure.

This procedure is designed for patients whose hearts are unable to pump blood effectively. The first mechanical heart surgery in the country took place several years ago at the same hospital. In that instance, a similar device was temporarily implanted while the patient awaited an organ transplant.

The latest surgery was performed on 56-year-old Henry Sánchez, a resident of Vasquez Coronado Canton in San José, who had been struggling with advanced heart failure.

Sánchez's condition had severely limited his ability to perform daily tasks, including walking. Following the surgery and recovery, he was able to resume a normal life.

“I feel as healthy as I did before,” Sánchez said. “Now I’m doing everything I couldn’t do before.”

Social Security stated that Sánchez’s heart condition had been so severe that a human heart transplant was not immediately feasible. With the successful implantation of the mechanical heart, his quality of life improved dramatically, reducing symptoms such as extreme fatigue, difficulty breathing, and fluid retention.

The medical team, from the hospital’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit, implanted the Heart-Mate device, which offers continuous circulatory support for patients with advanced heart failure, improving clinical outcomes and reducing complications. The device helps pump blood when the heart can no longer do so effectively, explained Dr. Ulises López Cardoza, a member of the surgical team.

The Heart-Mate-3-LVAD was first implanted in 2014 at Hannover Medical School in Hannover, Germany.

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