In a first for Malaysia, the National Heart Institute (IJN) has successfully implanted a life-saving heart device in a child, marking a major step forward in the country’s paediatric cardiac treatment.

The surgery was performed on a 12-year-old boy, Jackson Foong Yi Jie, who arrived at IJN in March with late-stage heart failure. His condition deteriorated so quickly that he went into cardiac arrest, forcing doctors to act within hours.

What followed was a high-stakes operation involving a rarely used mechanical heart device, known as a Paediatric Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). The device temporarily takes over the heart’s pumping function and is typically used as a last resort in children facing heart failure.

In Jackson’s case, the device bought his heart just enough time to recover.

After 16 days of mechanical support, IJN doctors removed the LVAD earlier this month. The boy is now recovering well and, notably, has shown no signs of brain damage despite suffering a cardiac arrest.

Medical staff say the case sets a new benchmark for what’s possible in Malaysian paediatric cardiac care, and could pave the way for more widespread use of advanced mechanical support for children with severe heart conditions.

IJN is expected to monitor Jackson’s recovery closely as he continues his stay at the hospital, but his team says he’s well on his way to being discharged soon.