Australian Man Becomes First to Leave Hospital with Artificial Titanium Heart
The groundbreaking BiVACOR device kept the patient alive for 105 days before a donor heart transplant became available.
- The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, made of titanium with a magnetically levitated rotor, was implanted in a six-hour procedure at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney in November 2024.
- The patient, a man in his 40s suffering from severe heart failure, became the first in the world to be discharged from the hospital with the artificial heart in February 2025.
- The device sustained the patient for a record 105 days, allowing him to live at home and perform daily activities before receiving a donor heart on March 6, 2025.
- BiVACOR's artificial heart aims to act as a bridge for patients awaiting transplants but may eventually serve as a permanent heart replacement, pending further trials and approvals.
- The technology, developed by Australian bioengineer Dr. Daniel Timms, represents a significant advancement in addressing global heart failure, which affects millions annually with limited donor availability.