World’s Youngest Patient Receives Life-Saving Berlin Heart Implant

In a groundbreaking medical achievement, the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, a clinical partnership between Dell Children’s Medical Center and UT Health Austin, successfully implanted a Berlin Heart device in the youngest patient in the world to receive this life-saving mechanical heart pump.

This feat relied on the expertise and collaboration of the UT Health Austin physicians — particularly the leadership and guidance of UT Health Austin congenital heart surgeon Charles D. Fraser, Jr., MD, who serves as the Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery for the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease.

William, who was born with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that limits the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively, was diagnosed in utero by doctors in San Antonio, leaving his survival in question even before birth. Given the severity of his case, William’s family was referred to the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease.

“From the beginning, it was a test of faith,” shares William’s mother, Therese, of San Antonio. “We knew the statistics weren’t great, but we also felt confident in our medical team and held on to hope.”

An Integrated Care Approach

William’s survival depended on a team effort. At 28 weeks gestation, his family met with specialists from multiple disciplines in a joint visit at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, a clinical partnership between Dell Children’s Medical Center and UT Health Austin. Pediatric cardiologists and fetal medicine specialists worked together to assess his condition and develop a unified care plan.

When it was time to deliver, Therese and her husband, Jeff, were directed to Dell Children’s Specialized Delivery Unit, an 11-bed labor and delivery unit within the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center. The Comprehensive Fetal Care Center specializes in comprehensive care for babies diagnosed with congenital conditions before birth, providing seamless coordination between maternal and pediatric specialists. Under the care of UT Health Austin fetal medicine specialist Kenneth J. Moise Jr., MD, who serves as Director of the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, both mother and baby were able to receive the critical care they needed without the danger of transporting him to another facility.

“The transition of a critically ill patient to another hospital is fraught with risk,” notes Dr. Fraser. “For William, it was critically important that all the specialists were already here, working together. Because we were aware of his condition before birth, we were able to act immediately, with the entire care team on high alert and all the necessary resources in one place.”

This type of seamless, multi-specialty care is a glimpse of what’s to come as The University of Texas Medical Center, announced in 2023, continues to take shape. As an integrated, academic medical center — the first to be built in a major U.S. city in decades — the UT Medical Center will provide lifesaving specialty care while leveraging the strength of expertise and innovation at The University of Texas at Austin, a Tier 1 research university.

Precision in Action

While originally appearing stable, William’s condition deteriorated within hours of his birth, prompting the team to consider extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a temporary life support option. However, ECMO posed risks and would only offer short-term stabilization.

“Once a baby goes on ECMO for heart failure, they need to receive a heart within three to four weeks, or they have little chance of surviving,” cautions Dr. Fraser.

Faced with this difficult reality, the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease cardiac surgery team proposed an alternative: implanting a Berlin Heart. The Berlin Heart, a paracorporeal device driven by an air pump, would serve as a bridge to transplant, sustaining William’s heart function while he awaited a donor heart. However, the device had never been used in a patient so young, and the smallest available pump, measuring 10cc, would be a delicate fit for baby William, who weighed just over three kilograms.

“We understood the magnitude of the challenge,” says Dr. Fraser. “But we also knew that the Berlin Heart could give William the time he needed to wait for a transplant.”

At just one day old, William underwent the complex procedure to implant the Berlin Heart, becoming the youngest patient to ever receive this life-saving device.

A New Beginning

The Berlin Heart sustained William for several weeks, during which time the team monitored his progress and adjusted his care plan daily. UT Health Austin cardiac surgeons remained at the helm, guiding his treatment with unwavering dedication.

Just 20 days after being placed on the transplant list, William’s family received the call they had been waiting for — a donor heart had been found.

“It was kind of a shock because we had planned for a much longer wait. We had expected to wait up to six months for a heart, so 20 days was a very short time,” recalls Therese. “It was a whirlwind turnaround, but also a huge relief.”

When the time came for his transplant, the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease once again stepped in, performing the life-saving procedure with the same precision and compassion that had defined William’s care from the start.

The Power of Expert Care

Despite the challenges faced along his journey, William is now thriving. The successful implantation of the Berlin Heart not only saved William’s life but opened new possibilities for the treatment of pediatric heart failure in the youngest and most vulnerable patients.

“This case highlights the incredible advances in pediatric cardiac care and the importance of collaboration in achieving outcomes once thought impossible,” says Dr. Fraser. “It’s an honor to be part of a team that continually pushes the boundaries of what is possible in medicine.”

To learn more about the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, visit here.