Newark (N.J.) Beth Israel Medical Center celebrated the longest-living patient in the state on a left ventricular assist device May 18.
Mayra Rodriguez, 42, of Union County, N.J., celebrated her 14th anniversary living with the device, a mechanical heart pump that helps the heart pump blood from the left ventricle to the body.
Ms. Rodriguez is now the longest-living person in New Jersey with the device and one of the longest-living patients in the country. Only 40 patients in the nation have lived more than 14 years with this device, according to the news release from the hospital.
"It has been a privilege to watch Mayra progress over the last 14 years. When we met her, she was critically ill but thanks to the innovative clinical care she received, her determination, and the support of her family, Mayra is here with us today celebrating this milestone," said Margarita Camacho, MD, surgical director of cardiac transplantation at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.