CNN reported on the 12th that an Australian man in his 40s is living with an artificial titanium heart for 100 days while waiting for a donor transplant, which is the longest-lived person with an artificial heart.
The man, who has not been identified, underwent an artificial heart transplant at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital in November last year.
He was the first person to have an artificial heart transplant in February to leave the hospital, where he remained alive until a heart donor appeared earlier this month.
St. Vincent’s Hospital, Monash University, and Vaibacor, an American-Australian company that made titanium artificial hearts, said on the 12th that “the man, who had severe heart failure, is recovering well after transplantation.”
The fact that the device has been able to save him for a long time is praised as a sign that the artificial heart can provide a long-term option for people suffering from heart failure. The device is still being tested and has not yet been approved for general use.
Australian biotechnology engineer Daniel Tims invented the device and founded Vivacor after his father died of heart disease. He said, “It is exciting to see decades of research come to fruition.”
He said in a statement, “The entire Vaibacor team is deeply grateful to the patient and his family for trusting our artificial heart. Their bravery will pave the way for countless patients to receive lifesaving technology.”
Baibacor’s artificial heart, called TAH, is made of titanium, and instead of having no wear-prone valves or mechanical bearings, it sends blood to the body and lungs through a single movable part called a levitation rotor, which is fixed with magnets, replacing both the broken heart’s ventricles.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, claiming about 18 million lives each year.
Using this artificial heart, its long-term goal is to save more patients who have long been tired of waiting for their donors. According to the U.S. Department of Health, approximately 3,500 people underwent heart transplants in 2024, with around 4400 people on waiting lists and waiting to be turned around.
Professor Chris Hayward of the Victor Chang Heart Institute said Vaibacor’s new titanium artificial heart is “starting to open up a new dimension for heart transplants.”
“In the next 10 years, an artificial heart will be an alternative for patients who cannot wait for a donor’s heart or are unable to use the donor’s heart,” said Hayward, who oversaw the Australian patient’s recovery and was involved in preparing the device for clinical trials.
The device has already undergone initial feasibility testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and five patients have successfully transplanted it.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
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