A man from New South Wales, Australia, became the first person to leave a hospital with a totally artificial heart. Made from titanium, this device is meant to be used by people with heart failure who are awaiting a donor. The life-saving technology is meant to serve as a “stopgap,” and recipients previously remained in the hospital until a heart donor could be found. However, this is the first time that someone has left the hospital with an artificial heart, living with the device for more than three months until eventually undergoing surgery.
Walking Out of Hospital With an Artificial Heart
The 40-something-year-old man underwent a six-hour operation at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia, in November 2024. He was closely observed in the ICU for a few weeks, followed by a couple months in a general ward. He was then discharged in early February 2025, living at home with the artificial home for around a month. On the 6th of March 2025, he underwent surgery to receive a donor heart transplant. This is the sixth time that the artificial heart has been used in this manner, but the first time that a patient has lived with it for more than a month.
While incredibly innovative, this kind of research is costly and requires high-risk surgery. Yet, this success provides researchers with valuable insight into how patients cope with the device in the “real world”. Previously, the patients remained in the hospital, where they were constantly monitored by a team of medical experts. In this case, however, the patient was free to go home and live with the device. The artificial heart has, up to now, been used as a temporary measure. However, this breakthrough means that it could potentially be used permanently by those not eligible for transplants due to specific health issues.
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The Company Behind the Artificial Heart
The device was made by a company called BiVACOR and its inventor, Dr. Daniel Timms, is originally from Queensland in Australia. According to Dr. Timms, “Being able to bring Australia along this journey and be part of the first clinical trials is immensely important to me and something that I set out to do from the very beginning.” He went on to say that the entire team is very grateful that the patients placed their trust on the artificial heart. It is thanks to his bravery that many more patients will be able to benefit from this technology.
The med-tech company was named after the artificial heart, which functions as a continuous pump. Inside the artificial heart, a rotor that is magnetically suspended propels blood throughout the body. The device is connected to a battery-powered controller via a cord inserted under the skin. This artificial heart differs from others since it only consists of one moving part. Older devices have many moving parts, making them more prone to mechanical failures.
The Bottom Line
This technology could prove to be life-saving for millions of people across the world suffering from heart failure. In Australia alone, heart failure kills more than 5,000 people annually. Almost 7 million adult Americans live with this condition. Yet, in 2023, only around 4,500 of those people received heart transplants. This is simply due to a shortage of potential donors – this artificial heart could change all that. While this technology has been used as a temporary measure up to now, this latest case shows that it could maybe be a permanent solution.
Many people with heart failure simply cannot receive a transplant due to factors such as age or preexisting conditions. This artificial heart could potentially offer them a new lease on life, allowing them to leave the confines of a hospital and lead a normal life, unmonitored. Considering the costs of hospital stay and the resources required, this could prove enormously beneficial for both patients and hospitals. While these results are very promising, more studies will still need to be carried out to determine the long-term viability of living with this device.
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