An Australian man lived for 100 days with a titanium artificial heart while waiting for a transplant.
The trial marked the longest period anyone has used this technology to date. The anonymous 40-year-old man received the implant during surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney last November.
In February this year, he became the first person in the world to leave the hospital with the device, which kept him alive until a heart donor became available earlier this month.
In a joint statement issued by St. Vincent’s Hospital, Monash University, and BiVACOR, the US-Australian company behind the device, the man, who had severe heart failure, is “recovering well.”
The success of the trial is being celebrated as a sign that the artificial heart could potentially provide a long-term option for people suffering from heart failure.
“The entire BiVACOR team is deeply grateful to the patient and his family for placing their trust in our Total Artificial Heart,” said Daniel Timms, an Australian bioengineer and founder of BiVACOR.
Timms, who invented the device after his father passed away from heart disease, said it was “inspiring to see decades of work come to fruition.”
Photo and video: BiVACOR. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
