An Australian man in his forties has made medical history as the first person to be discharged from a hospital with a titanium artificial heart and survives for 100 days.
The device, known as BiVACOR, serves as a temporary solution for patients awaiting a donor heart. Until now, all recipients of this type of artificial heart had remained under hospital care in the United States.
Doctors at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney confirmed the patient lived with the artificial heart for more than three months before undergoing a successful heart transplant. He is now recovering well.
“This is certainly an important development in the field,” said Julian Smith, a cardiac surgeon at the Victorian Heart Institute at Monash University in Melbourne.
The patient is the sixth person globally to receive the BiVACOR heart but the first to use it outside a hospital for an extended period. Experts say his case offers new insights into how well patients can manage the device in daily life.
Artificial titanium heart used as a bridge to transplantation
Joseph Rogers, a heart-failure specialist and president of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, said the latest success helps researchers understand how patients adapt to the device without constant medical supervision. Rogers, who led the first U.S. trial of BiVACOR, emphasized the importance of real-world data in advancing heart replacement technology.
Currently, BiVACOR is only used as a bridge to transplantation, keeping patients stable while they wait for a donor heart.
An Australian man in his 40’s became the first man to survive for 100 days with an artificial titanium heart. The long term purpose is to use the device to save more people who are dying on waiting lists for suitable donors. According to the US Health Department, about 3,500… pic.twitter.com/nOooAaeJhr
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Some cardiologists believe it could one day serve as a long-term alternative for individuals who are not eligible for transplants due to age or health conditions. However, more clinical trials are needed to determine its viability as a permanent solution.
In the United States, nearly 7 million adults live with heart failure, yet only about 4,500 heart transplants were performed in 2023 due to a shortage of donor hearts, according to health officials.
BiVACOR replaces the heart entirely
BiVACOR was developed by Australian biomedical engineer Daniel Timms, who also founded a company named after the device.
Unlike many mechanical heart devices, which only support the left side of the heart, BiVACOR replaces the heart entirely. It functions as a continuous pump, using a magnetically suspended rotor to circulate blood through the body in steady pulses.
A cord under the skin connects it to an external controller, powered by batteries during the day and plugged into a power source at night.
Most mechanical heart devices rely on multiple moving parts, which can lead to mechanical failures over time. In contrast, BiVACOR has only one moving part, a design that could reduce the risk of wear and tear, Rogers said.
Despite its promise, some experts caution that further studies are needed to assess the device’s long-term functionality and affordability. Sarah Aitken, a vascular surgeon at the University of Sydney, called the technology “incredibly innovative” but noted that many questions remain.