A 51-year-old Iraqi man with a terminal heart condition has been given a new lease of life by doctors at a Delhi hospital.

The patient had suffered several bullet injuries at the hands of terrorists who had kept him captive. He then flew back to Iraq on July 28 with an artificial heart. He had undergone several rounds of surgeries in his native country which however did not improve his health. After coming to India, Mohammad was advised for Left Ventricle Assistance Device (LVAD), popularly known as an artificial heart, Ajay Kaul, Chairman and Head of Department, CTVS, BLK Heart Centre said in a statement on August 2. "The patient came to us with a terminal heart condition (cardiomyopathy) which was a result of eight gunshot injuries he had suffered during captivity.

"We found that his heart was very weak and could not eject blood. We tried to treat him medically first but his breathlessness kept increasing and he was completely crippled. He was waiting for a transplant but due to acute shortage of donors, it was not feasible at that point of time," Kaul said.