Life-Changing Breakthrough Offers New Hope for Heart Failure Patients

In a groundbreaking medical achievement, the first fully mechanical heart developed by BiVACOR has been successfully implanted in a human patient. This milestone marks a significant advancement in the field of cardiac care, offering new hope for those awaiting heart transplants.

The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) is a compact, titanium-constructed device about the size of a fist. Despite its small stature, it packs a powerful punch. It can pump blood at a rate of 12 liters per minute, which is enough to support an adult male during exercise.

Unlike other artificial hearts that rely on flexible polymer diaphragms to pump blood, the BiVACOR TAH uses a magnetically levitated rotor. This design eliminates the wear and tear associated with traditional mechanical hearts, potentially increasing their longevity.

The primary purpose of the BiVACOR TAH is to serve as a bridge-to-transplant solution. According to the OPTN/SRTR 2022 annual data report, the number of heart transplants in the United States has been on the rise. Since 2011, adult heart transplants have increased significantly by 85.8%. This device could be a lifeline for many of those patients.

On July 9, 2024, history was made at the Texas Heart Institute when the first patient received the BiVACOR TAH as part of an FDA-approved early feasibility study. This procedure was carried out at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center. (Read more from “Life-Changing Breakthrough Offers New Hope for Heart Failure Patients” HERE)