A VICTORIAN man who was clinically dead for 40 minutes has been brought back to life by an Australian-first resuscitation technique.

Dandenong's Colin Fiedler, 39, was one of three cardiac arrest patients brought back to life after being dead for between 40 and 60 minutes at The Alfred hospital, using two new techniques in the emergency department.

The Alfred is trialling a mechanical CPR machine, which performs constant chest compressions, and a portable heart-lung machine - normally used in theatre - to keep oxygen and blood flowing to the patient's brain and vital organs.

Mr Fiedler had a heart attack and was clinically dead for 40 minutes before being revived last June.

"I'm so grateful, more than I could ever say," he told the Herald Sun.

So far, seven cardiac arrest patients have been treated with the AutoPulse machine and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Three patients were successfully revived after being clinically dead for 40 to 60 minutes.

It allows doctors to diagnose the cause of the cardiac arrest and treat it, but keep blood and oxygen flowing to the vital organs and brain, which reduces the risk of permanent disability.

Mr Fiedler is one of the three patients who were revived and returned home without disability. In the ambulance, paramedics had given him a choice of two hospitals.

"For some reason, I said The Alfred, which is pretty lucky because they are the only one that has it," he said.

Since his heart attack, he has turned over a new leaf, quitting smoking and no longer sweats the small stuff.

The system is available only at The Alfred, but senior intensive care physician Professor Stephen Bernard said the results from the first two years of the trial were exciting and he hoped to eventually expand the system across Melbourne.

Prof Bernard said it required three trained intensive-care physicians and all the machinery ready to go on site, which no other hospital in Victoria had.

AutoPulse is available only in three ambulances, but Prof Bernard said the company that distributed the CPR machine had offered to provide more machines.

"We are looking to where to best implement these machines around Melbourne," he said.

Ambulance Victoria also used the AutoPulse machine to save the life of former junior world champion swimmer Clare Carney after a cardiac arrest last year.

- with Lucie van den Berg

Originally published as Heart patient back from the dead