TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsRSCM, HeartSpan successfully implant world’s smallest heart assist device
This successful procedure represents a major advancement in Indonesia's capability to provide world-class treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Set as preferred source
HeartSpan.ai founder Wei Siang Yu (right) and the medical team visit the recipient of Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) at the Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) in this undated picture. RSCM and HeartSpan.ai conducted Indonesia's first implantation of LVAD on Aug. 1. (Courtesy of HeartSpan/-)
I
ndonesia has achieved a historic milestone in cardiovascular medicine with the first successful implantation of the world’s smallest and lightest Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) on Aug. 1.
The recipient was a 45-year-old woman with advanced heart failure and a severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction of just 14 percent, who experienced shortness of breath during light physical activity and had been hospitalized repeatedly due to heart failure, the hospital said in a joint statement with partner HeartSpan.ai.
“This successful procedure represents a major advancement in Indonesia's capability to provide world-class treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure,” the statement said on Aug. 5.
The achievement follows a strategic collaboration between RSCM and HeartSpan.ai, the heart longevity division of Borderless Healthcare Group (BHG), which was launched one week earlier through the LVAD Donation Ceremony.
Within days of receiving the donated device from HeartSpan.ai and completing the intensive clinical training program at Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, the world's largest cardiovascular center, the cardiovascular team at RSCM, with the support of specialists from Fuwai Hospital on-site, successfully performed the country's inaugural LVAD implantation.
"Today, we are not only helping one patient, we are building Indonesia's long-term capability in advanced heart failure treatment,” founder and chairman of BHG and founder of HeartSpan.ai, Wei Siang Yu, said in the statement.
“HeartSpan.ai was established to accelerate the adoption of life-saving heart care innovations by converging advanced medtech, cross-border medical knowledge sharing cloud and agentic AI.”
Wei said that as Southeast Asia's first successful implantation of the world's smallest and lightest artificial heart assist device, this achievement is far more than a clinical milestone; it marked the beginning of a new era in cardiovascular care for Indonesia.
“It also lays the foundation for Indonesia to become a regional destination for high-quality, affordable advanced heart failure treatment, attracting patients from across Southeast Asia while strengthening the country's position as a leading center for cardiovascular innovation,” he said.
Indonesia continues to face a growing burden of cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019, Indonesia has an estimated heart failure prevalence of approximately 900–1,000 cases per 100,000 population and records the highest heart failure mortality rate in Asia, at approximately 34.1 percent.
"The successful implantation of the LVAD is a significant achievement, not only for RSCM but also for the advancement of healthcare services in Indonesia,” RSCM president director Supriyanto Dharmoredjo said in the statement.
“This accomplishment demonstrates that Indonesia is capable of providing advanced cardiovascular therapies that meet international standards through collaboration with global partners, strengthening the competencies of healthcare professionals, and leveraging the latest healthcare technologies.”
The introduction of LVAD implantation expands access to highly specialized cardiovascular care, reduces the need for eligible patients to seek complex treatment overseas and strengthens Indonesia's national capabilities in advanced heart failure management.
“Successful LVAD therapy extends far beyond the operating theater. It requires rigorous patient selection, seamless coordination between cardiologists, surgeons, intensivists, nurses and LVAD coordinators, as well as structured long-term follow-up,” head of RSCM’s cardiovascular department, Birry Karim, said in the statement.
“Through our collaboration with HeartSPAN.ai and Fuwai Hospital, RSCM has established the multidisciplinary care model, clinical protocols and specialist capabilities needed to build a sustainable advanced heart failure program for Indonesia.”
The patient's recovery has been encouraging, said the lead cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at RSCM, Arza Putra.
“She has successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation and extubated at post-op day 1. Her condition has stabilized, and rehabilitation has already begun,” he said.
“While the post-operative period remains critical and requires close monitoring, these early clinical outcomes are very encouraging. This successful implantation demonstrates what can be achieved through meticulous surgical planning and multidisciplinary teamwork.”
Building on this milestone, HeartSpan.ai envisions a future where artificial intelligence, regenerative medicine and advanced mechanical circulatory support converge within an integrated ecosystem to extend life, optimize health span and transform the management of advanced heart failure.
Beyond advancing patient care, this initiative led by HeartSpan.ai and implemented locally through Indonesia.md, BHG’s Indonesia-focused subsidiary and the exclusive distributor of LVAD in Indonesia, aims to accelerate the transfer of advanced medical technologies from China and other countries to Indonesia, strengthening local capabilities through specialist education, knowledge transfer, research collaboration and, ultimately, the introduction of advanced medical device manufacturing in Indonesia.
"By exploring opportunities for advanced medtech manufacturing in Indonesia, we hope to improve affordability and expand patient access to life-saving technologies, while supporting the long-term sustainability of Indonesia's national health insurance, BPJS Kesehatan," Wei said.
More from The Weekender
The price you pay for living in Jakarta
It doesn't really matter where you live, Jakarta is expensive everywhere. The only real choice is what you're willing to pay with: your money, your time or your sanity.
Success isn’t at the top of the corporate ladder anymore
My generation watched our parents give everything to a company. We decided to give it to ourselves instead. But it's more complicated than that.
Our second Instagram account is the real one
In an act of rebellion against overexposure and performative social media, Gen Z are turning to smaller, controlled spaces on social media where they can be their authentic selves.
