Henry Ford Health in Detroit has marked a significant milestone with the successful implementation of Michigan's first two beating heart transplants. Ken Miller, a Ferndale resident, became the first in the state to receive this ground-breaking procedure on May 31, coinciding with his 58th birthday. Following a challenging period of heart failure that spanned over a decade and required 25 days on a heart pump, Miller received both a new heart and kidney, reports FOX 2 Detroit.
Before the transplant, Miller was confined to a hospital bed, unable to enjoy everyday activities, including walking his dog Chip. This innovative procedure contrasts with traditional heart transplant methods where the heart is stopped before transplantation. Dr. Kyle Miletic, a cardiac transplant surgeon from Henry Ford Health and the surgeon who led the procedure, expressed optimism about the outcomes, mentioning to ClickOnDetroit, “I felt blessed and privileged to get the procedure because I think I have a better chance of survival.”
Unlike the conventional approach where a donor heart must be stopped and sustained on ice, the heart-in-a-box technology utilizes a mini heart-lung machine to keep the heart beating outside the body. Remarkably, the beating heart is sewn into the patient as it pulsates, a precision-demanding task likened by surgeons to hand sewing a garment while in motion. As articulated by Dr. Miletic, "While the heart is continuously beating and receiving for the first time the recipient’s blood, we’re actually sewing it in," Dr. Miletic disclosed this detail during an interview with ClickOnDetroit.
The innovative technique has implications beyond heart transplants, with potential benefits for liver and lung patients. Affirming the greater efficiency of this method, a second transplant patient is already showing excellent cardiac function despite the donor heart traveling from a distance of approximately 2,000 miles. Dr. Miletic hopes this procedure will make more heart transplants feasible, countering the gap between the 3,500 people awaiting heart transplants in the U.S. and the roughly 2,000 performed annually. This account was verified by WXYZ, who reported on the issue of limited heart transplants compared to the demand.
In the aftermath of the surgery, Ken Miller looks ahead to reclaiming the normalcy of life he once knew. As outlined by WXYZ, Miller said, "I look forward to just being able to move, walk, go upstairs, all the things we take for granted." Meanwhile, Miller's daughter has initiated an online fundraiser to help with the financial load of medical costs.
