Australian Man Lives 100 Days with Artificial Titanium Heart

A major medical breakthrough has taken place in Australia. A man in his 40s, suffering from severe heart failure, survived for 100 days with an artificial titanium heart while waiting for a donor transplant. This is the longest anyone has ever lived with such a device.

The patient, who prefers to stay anonymous, received the implant at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney last November. In February, he became the first person in the world to leave the hospital with the device keeping him alive. Earlier this month, he finally received a donor heart and is now recovering well, according to a statement from St. Vincent’s Hospital, Monash University, and BiVACOR, the company that developed the artificial heart.

This achievement is a promising sign that artificial hearts could one day become a long-term solution for patients with severe heart failure. Although the device is still in testing and not yet available for public use, BiVACOR’s founder, Australian bioengineer Daniel Timms, was thrilled. Timms, who created the device after losing his father to heart disease, called the success “exhilarating.”

“The BiVACOR team is extremely grateful to the patient and his family for trusting our Total Artificial Heart,” he said. “Their courage will help many more patients in the future.”

How Does the Artificial Heart Work?

The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) is a groundbreaking device designed to completely replace a failing heart. Made of titanium, it has only one moving part—a magnetic rotor that floats in place. Unlike traditional mechanical hearts, it doesn’t have valves or bearings, which reduces wear and tear.

The device pumps blood to both the body and the lungs, taking over the function of a real heart. This technology could be life-changing, as heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death, claiming around 18 million lives every year.

The goal is to use the artificial heart to help more people waiting for transplants. In 2024, about 3,500 people received heart transplants in the U.S., but 4,400 more were still waiting for a donor. Professor Chris Hayward from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute believes the BiVACOR heart is a game-changer.

“In the next ten years, artificial hearts will become a real option for patients who can’t wait for a transplant,” said Hayward, who is helping the Australian patient recover and was part of the team preparing the device for clinical trials.

Testing and Future Plans

The BiVACOR heart has already been tested in the United States under an FDA Early Feasibility Study. So far, five patients have received the implant. The first was a 58-year-old man with severe heart failure who survived for eight days before getting a donor heart. Four more patients followed, allowing researchers to study the device’s safety and performance. The study is expected to expand to 15 patients.

In Australia, Monash University’s Artificial Heart Frontiers Program has big plans for the future. Backed by 50 million Australian dollars (around $31 million USD), the program aims to develop and commercialize three heart failure treatment devices.

This recent success in Australia is just the beginning, paving the way for artificial hearts to become a real alternative for patients worldwide.