Dubai, June 26 (IANS): A 21-year-old student in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) city of Sharjah, has received the country's first artificial heart transplant, a media report said on Friday.

The student, suffering from heart failure, was bedridden and living with the support of an external assistive device for three weeks before he received the artificial heart at the Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, the Khaleej Times reported.

The artificial heart was approved by the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) and is considered as a 'bridge' until the patient is able to get a heart transplant.

According to Mohammed Abdul Aziz, consultant cardiac surgeon on the case, the artificial heart can stay inside a human body for up to 10 years, and runs on rechargeable batteries (weighing 1.5 kg) that lasts for 12 hours, before requiring a recharge.

"The case was very complicated and he could not be allowed to travel, it was a race against time to save his life," said Arif Al Nooryani, head of Al Qassimi Hospital.

"A team from Germany and the makers of the device were present during the surgery to offer technical assistance."

The patient is currently in the ICU and will remain in the hospital for another two to three weeks before being allowed to go home.