A Czech father of one who survived for more than six months without a real heart has died at the age of 37. Jakub Halik had his heart replaced with two mechanical pumps in pioneering surgery last April after an aggressive cancerous tumour was found.

Doctors say his death was caused by liver failure, and not the artificial heart itself. Mr Halik, a former firefighter, was waiting on the transplant list for a suitable donor when he died. Despite not having a pulse and always having to carry a battery pack to power his mechanical heart, Mr Halik was able to walk around and even use the hospital gym.

He was not able to accept a donor heart earlier because the cancer meant he would not be able to take the drugs he would need for a successful organ transplant. The radical surgery had only ever been tried on one other patient, a man in Texas, who survived for just a week. 'Healthy man' Mr Halik's operation was carried out by Jan Pirk, director of cardiology at the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague. His team used two plastic pumps, each designed to perform the separate tasks of the left and right sides of the heart.

Speaking at a press conference in August more than four months after the surgery, Mr Halik said he felt "very good physically", and said he had made the right choice to proceed with the operation. "It was hard for me but I didn't have any other chance at all," he told reporters. "It was acknowledged that with the tumour I can survive for about one year and I decided to fight and do it this way." He said the experience of living without a heart had not been difficult. "I don't even realise it, because the functions of the body are the same, only my heart is not beating and I have no pulse anymore," Mr Halik said. "Otherwise I am functioning like a healthy man at present." Doctors said it is unclear how Mr Halik's liver failed. They are awaiting the outcome of a post- mortem examination.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19977958

The Original story as reported on NL: Czech Man Lives With No Heart For Six Months

Sad the man has passed away

May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace

Rest In Peace

So sad......................................RIP HEARTLESS MAN

damn. that sucks.

1 thing must always kill a man!

dridowu: So sad......................................RIP HEARTLESS MAN

Are you kidding me?

No matter hw harder scientist try to provide alternatives to means of life, nature is diffrenced to nurture, which cant be cheated. Ppl out there dis is just a warner nd a reminder, evry one should be awared dt no man can runs faster than his shadow, we shall all go back home or to a jorney of irreturnable one day, willingly or unwillingly.

They should leave story abegi.
Apparently the effect of absence of pulse and maybe some slight change in the natural rhythm to the flow of blood affected the liver which is the reservoir for blood amongst many other function.

The 6 extra months was a gift from the scientists. Farewell Soul.

dridowu: So sad......................................RIP HEARTLESS MAN

lwkMd4Ooo....hahahahah

Rest in peace

RIP BrO... Wicked world .hmmm

RIP BrO... Wicked world ....hmmm

Even with a heart, death is inevitable ! May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace .

what the scriptures says is true. When a particular part of the body is sick, all other parts become affected. There is no how the liver can survive without a functioning heart. Scientists can try but God pass them

dridowu: So sad......................................RIP HEARTLESS MAN

You got me rolling on the floor Mr man... .....RIP TO HIM

Billyonaire: The 6 extra months was a gift from the scientists. Farewell Soul.

He was given a chance of one year without the mechanical pump.
But I guess the scientists would improve on subsequent ones.

dridowu: So sad......................................RIP HEARTLESS MAN

I think you are rather heartless as the situation itself. How I wish he knew Christ.

gbadexy:
He was given a chance of one year without the mechanical pump.
But I guess the scientists would improve on subsequent ones.

Oh Okay, There needs to be improvement on that technology, they should replicate nature's peristaltic heart-pump, I hated to see that guy with bag pack everywhere he went. I cant imagine that my heart pump is outside my heart.

Wow, Sad. He has provided his bit to make the discovery better.

RIP

tellwisdom: Who killed him??

same person that killed death.

I hope he knew christ b4 he died.

dridowu: So sad......................................RIP HEARTLESS MAN

nice pun you got there

God is sitll ЂΞ ultimate physician...RIP Man.

Iaz93: RIP BrO... Wicked world ....hmmm

jes as your username, you're too lazy to think straight. The witches and wizards in your village is really disturbing your thinking. Every thing negative are now attributed to witches and wizard abi? That's why your comment shld be 'wicked world'. You psychotic Idiotta

Awwwwww and to think I just read his story not too long ago. He sounded so optimistic. RIP Malik.

Sad to hear of him passing. RIP. I'm confused though about the no pulse thing.

Science can be beautiful especially in a case like this. U were strong even without ur heart for a long while. I wish you lived longer bro....joining you later ok.