Singapore: A 39-year-old man, the first patient in Vietnam to have a surgically implanted heart pump inside his chest has been reported to be in a good condition.

Mr Hoang Quoc B, received a HeartWare pump, a ventricular assist device (VAD) which took over the pumping function of his heart. After a complex surgery of five hours, he is able to breathe without a ventilator.

Dr Bui Duc Phu, director of Hue Central Hospital said that the heart was responding well, doubling cardiac output to four liters per minute.

According to a news report, the patient was in the final stage of cardiomyopathy and was awaiting a heart transplant but could not find a suitable donor. Cardiomyopathy is a serious heart disease, wherein the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and cannot pump blood effectively, leading to heart failure.

Dr Phu said that the success of the surgery instilled a new hope for the patients, who await a heart transplant and fail to get a suitable match.