Congratulations are due to Angelo Tigano - the southern hemisphere's first recipient of a mechanical heart.

This surgery was conducted at St Vincent's Hospital , Sydney.

This device is not a substitute for a transplanted heart, but it givers the patient extra time before a transplanted heart becomes available.

Artificial hearts were, until now, extremely cumbersome hospital-bound devices. Whilst I am not a medical expert, it seems t this untrained eye that this option gives everyone involved - patient, doctors, family - some clearance time.

Well done ! And I do hope that he long continues to enjoy his mum's cooking.

• Artificial heart transplant first, SBS World News Australia, 16th August 2010

• Pictures from Mr Tigano's media conference via AAPimage

• YouTube vide of implantation of artificial heat, uploaded by CumberlandCourier (ADVISORY: shows surgical scenes.)