French artificial heart maker Carmat's first patient is in a "very satisfactory condition" 12 days after being fitted with the device, the hospital treating him said on Monday, reports Reuters.
The 75-year-old Frenchman is eating normally and spent three hours sitting in a chair in the company of his family on Sunday, the team caring for him at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris said.
"The artificial heart is functioning normally, automatically catering to the body's needs without any manual adjustment necessary," surgeons Alain Carpentier and Christian Latremouille said in a statement issued by the hospital.
Three more patients in France are due to be fitted with the device. In this first series of clinical studies, its success will be judged on whether patients survive with the implant for at least a month.
Read more of this report from Reuters.