Doctors successfully implant titanium heart in human patient for the first time
A team of doctors achieved a groundbreaking surgery when they successfully implanted an artificial titanium heart in a human patient.
Officials from the Texas Heart Institute (THI), medical device company BiVACOR, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, and Baylor College of Medicine announced that they were able to achieve the first in-human implantation of the device, dubbed the "BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart."
A news release from the Baylor College of Medicine detailed that the device is a titanium-constructed biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving part that "utilizes a magnetically levitated rotor that pumps the blood and replaces both ventricles of a failing heart."
According to IGN, these magnetic levitation technologies are the same ones used in creating the high-speed bullet train, wherein they cause an object to float in place through the repelling force of opposing magnetic poles.
BiVACOR’s titanium heart "spins to circulate blood around the body while suspended contactlessly inside the titanium housing of the compact implant." Through an external controller, it can also be adjusted to do faster or slower pumps.
The implantation is part of a clinical study that aims to evaluate whether the artificial heart is a safe solution for patients with severe biventricular heart failure or univentricular heart failure in which left ventricular assist device support is not recommended.
As the first implantation ended with the device performing well, health officials are now hopeful that this can be a good sign for the future of heart failure therapy.
"With heart failure remaining a leading cause of mortality globally, the BiVACOR TAH offers a beacon of hope for countless patients awaiting a heart transplant,” said Dr. Joseph Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of THI.
"We are proud to be at the forefront of this medical breakthrough, working alongside the dedicated teams at BiVACOR, Baylor College of Medicine, and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center to transform the future of heart failure therapy for this vulnerable population," he continued.
Daniel Timms, PhD, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of BiVACOR, meanwhile highlighted how the breakthrough surgery brings them "one step closer to providing a desperately needed option for people with end-stage heart failure who require support while waiting for a heart transplant."
"I look forward to continuing the next phase of our clinical trial," he added.
Following the first surgery done by Baylor College of Medicine surgeons, four additional patients are set to be enrolled in the study.
Heart failure is estimated to affect at least 26 million people worldwide, 6.2 million adults in the U.S., and is increasing in prevalence. Despite the presence of heart transplantations, they are reserved for those with severe heart failure and are limited to fewer than 6,000 procedures per year globally.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health gauged that up to 100,000 patients could immediately benefit from mechanical circulatory support.