Spanish Hospital performs heart transplant on patient with mechanical support

Doctors at Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe in Valencia, Spain, successfully performed a heart transplant on a 70-year-old man.

The patient had lived with a ventricular assistance device for 18 months because his advanced heart failure, obesity, and kidney issues made him an unsuitable candidate for an immediate transplant when he first arrived from Torrevieja in 2024. The medical team decided to implant a left ventricular assistance device to help pump blood while the patient's condition stabilized.

After a period of recovery and a subsequent infection, specialists determined that a full heart transplant was the best remaining option. In October 2025, the Cardiovascular Surgery and Cardiology teams removed the mechanical device and replaced the patient's heart. Salvador Torregrosa, the coordinator of Mechanical Circulatory Assistance at La Fe, says the patient is currently showing good clinical progress. The man is functioning well with the new heart and is following a standard immunosuppressive treatment to prevent organ rejection.

This case marks only the second time in Spain that a patient aged 70 or older received an organic transplant after using mechanical support.