Artificial Heart Recipient Breaks Survival Duration Milestone
Rewritten Article
This Aussie bloke's turned into a medical prodigy, thanks to his novel artificial ticker. His healthcare crew announced this week that he's the world's first to be discharged from the hospital post an implant, designed to fully replace the heart's functioning.
A team of doctors at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney performed the risky operation last November, fitting the man with the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart. He wasn't the first human to get the tech, but he's the first to live with it long enough to be released from the hospital - over 100 days. The implant served as a bridge to a regular heart transplant, which he received earlier this March.
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There are implants available today that can assist an ailing heart, though only temporarily. The BiVACOR heart, dreamed up by Aussie biomedical engineer Daniel Timms, is designed to fully takeover the heart's essential roles. It caters to folks grappling with end-stage heart failure, and comes furnished with an external, rechargeable battery that connects to the heart via a cable. At present, the battery lasts for a mere four hours at a stretch; the developers aim for a future version powered by wireless charging.
The implant's in its early stages of clinical trials, with a man from New South Wales being the sixth and latest recipient. The five prior recipients, all Yanks, only had the implant for a short while before undergoing heart transplants, meaning they never left the hospital. So this Aussie's discharge and over 100 days of survival with the implant are both record-breaking feats. He's now recovering swimmingly from his heart transplant, according to his medical team.
"We've striven towards this moment for years and we're incredibly proud to have been the first Australian team to carry out this procedure," Paul Jansz, a cardiothoracic and transplant surgeon at St Vincent's, shared with The Guardian.
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Although the BiVACOR heart is presently being tested as a means to extend the longevity of patients until they get a donor heart, Timms and his colleagues ultimately aspire for the device to serve as a durable replacement for the heart and a viable alternative to heart transplantation. It's a goal that won't be easy to achieve, given that patients typically live for around 12 to 13 years after getting a donated heart. But for now, the early progress is undoubtedly promising. More patients are set to get their own implants this year under a program spearheaded by researchers at Monash University in Australia.
"The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart marks a fresh era for heart transplants, both in Australia and globally," Chris Hayward, a cardiologist at St Vincent's who monitored the man's health, shared with The Guardian. "Inside the next decade, we'll see artificial hearts becoming the preferred option for patients who can't wait for a donor heart or when a donor heart simply isn't available."
Artificial implants like the BiVACOR heart aren't the only emerging technology that could one day bolster or substitute the limited supply of donor organs. Elsewhere, researchers are at work on developing genetically modified pig organs that can safely coexist with the human body.
Enrichment Data:The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) stands as a game-changing innovation in cardiac technology, offering expanded options for patients waiting on heart transplants as a bridging solution. Here's how it contributes to the possible development of a larger heart donor pool:
- Design and Functionality: The BiVACOR TAH is made from titanium and employs magnetic levitation technology to pump blood, eliminating the need for mechanical bearings or valves. This design reduces wear and tear, making it a lasting option for extensive use[1][4].
- Clinical Trials: The device has been tested in the U.S. as part of an FDA-approved Early Feasibility Study, with five patients receiving the implant. The first implant took place in July 2024 at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston[4]. In Australia, a patient lived with the device for over 100 days before receiving a donor heart transplant, marking the longest duration of use to date[1][2].
- Success and Impact: The Australian patient became the first worldwide to be discharged from the hospital with the BiVACOR TAH, demonstrating its potential for extended use outside a clinical setting[2][3]. This success suggests that the device could keep patients alive longer while they wait for a donor heart, potentially increasing the pool of eligible transplant candidates.
- The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, developed by Australian biomedical engineer Daniel Timms, is designed to function completely as a replacement for the heart's essential roles.
- With the BiVACOR implant, a man from Australia has become the first to live outside the hospital after having it for over 100 days, setting a new record for its extended use.
- Cardiologist Chris Hayward from St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney shared with The Guardian that the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart is ushering in a new era for heart transplants, and in the future, such artificial hearts might become the preferred option for patients awaiting donor hearts.
- Researchers are also working on developing genetically modified pig organs that could safely coexist with the human body, offering another promising prospect for bolstering the limited supply of donor organs in the future.
