An Australian man has made history by becoming the first outside the United States to receive the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, a titanium device designed to replace the human heart. The patient, in his mid-40s, was suffering from severe heart failure and received the implant at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney.
For an incredible 105 days, he lived with the fully mechanical heart before a donor organ became available. In a world-first, he was even discharged from the hospital and lived at home for nearly a month while relying solely on the device. The patient later underwent a six-hour heart transplant surgery on November 22, 2024, which was successful.
“This is a massive breakthrough for patients waiting for a heart transplant,” said Dr Paul Jansz, the cardiothoracic surgeon who led the operation. “It gives them an option beyond just waiting and hoping for a donor.”
A Hospital with a Legacy of Innovation
St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney has a long history of leading groundbreaking heart surgeries. It was the site of Australia’s first successful heart transplant in 1984, performed by Dr Victor Chang, a pioneer in cardiac surgery. Now, four decades later, the hospital has once again pushed the boundaries of medicine by successfully implanting a totally artificial heart.
“This hospital has always been at the forefront of heart transplant innovation,” Dr Jansz said. “This latest success continues that legacy.”
How the Artificial Heart Works
The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart was invented by Dr Daniel Timms, an Australian engineer. Unlike traditional heart pumps, this compact, turbine-based device uses magnetic levitation technology to move blood efficiently, mimicking the function of a real heart.
Designed for patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure, the device is expected to provide a long-term alternative to donor hearts in the future. Currently, many patients die while waiting for a transplant due to a shortage of donor organs.
“The ultimate goal is to create a device that can permanently replace a heart,” said Dr Timms. “This is a step towards making that a reality.”
A Potential Game-Changer for Medicine
This operation was part of Australia’s Artificial Heart Frontiers Program, led by Monash University. The success of the procedure marks a major step towards reducing transplant wait times and giving patients a second chance at life.
Experts believe that if further trials prove successful, fully artificial hearts could soon become a standard treatment for heart failure patients worldwide.
“This is just the beginning,” Dr Jansz said. “We are witnessing the future of heart transplantation.”
Australia urgently needs more organ donors, with heart transplants seeing a steep 19% decline. Want to register to be an organ donor? https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today
