Britain's first artificial heart transplant patient

In 2011 Matthew Green became the first patient in Britain to have his heart completely replaced by an artificial organ.

The 40-year-old was suffering from a severe heart condition, which meant he could have died at any time.

Mr Green said the artificial heart, made by the US firm SynCardia, had 'revolutionised' his life, allowing him to go out for walks and to the local pub.

After 2 years surgeons at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire replaced his plastic device with a donor organ

Mr Green told the BBC the artificial heart had 'done the job very well for two years' allowing him to survive while waiting for a suitable heart.

The need for artificial hearts is driven by the shortage of donor organs.

It is common for patients to wait well over a year for a suitable heart and it is estimated that three people a day die while waiting for an organ transplant.