First patient receives artificial heart in bridge-to-heart transplant procedure
An artificial heart aims to become a long-term treatment option for patients with heart failure.
The first bridge-to-heart transplant in a human has successfully taken place at The Texas Heart Institute (TX, US) in collaboration with BiVACOR (CA, USA), who produced the device. This could provide a solution for patients with severe heart failure who are on long waiting lists for a heart transplant and are not suited for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy.
Heart failure is a cardiovascular disease where the heart fails to keep up with the body’s demands, resulting in cells deprived of oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood. It is a common condition and is a frequent reason for hospitalization in patients over 65 years old. Heart failure can sometimes be treated by LVAD therapy, which can be used as a temporary solution during the waiting period for a heart transplant. Whilst some patients are suited to LVAD therapies, patients with severe cases of heart failure are not.
Instead, patients with severe heart failure require heart transplants. However, even for patients who qualify, waiting times for a donor heart can be long depending on heart size, blood type and on how ill a patient is. As a result, some patients can be left waiting years for a new heart.
Illustrating the success of the artificial heart transplant at The Texas Heart Institute in collaboration with BiVACOR, both the health center and the medical device company have shared an exciting update on the condition of the patient who was the first to receive the device as part of the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart Early Feasibility Study.
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Between 9−17 July, the patient was temporarily fitted with the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) until a donor heart became available. The BiVACOR TAH was then removed successfully and replaced with the donor heart. Although previous artificial hearts and have been transplanted before, BiVACOR is the first of its kind to utilize magnetic levitation technology in place of valves to propel blood to pulmonary and circulatory routes.
“[It was] rewarding to see this result and having the BiVACOR TAH perform as expected,” commented Joseph Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Texas Heart Institute and National Principal Investigator of the research.
The success of this procedure represents a new solution for patients with severe biventricular heart failure or univentricular heart failure that need a new heart but are not suited to left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy during the waiting period for a transplant. Not only does this offer a promising solution to addressing long transplant waitlists, but it may also represent an exciting long-term solution as a pump replacement for a patient’s heart where no alternative therapies are available.
