An Australian patient with heart failure has set a world record by living for more than 100 days with a completely artificial heart before receiving a donor organ, daily.afisha.ru reports with reference to The Guardian.
The medical community has hailed the case as an "unqualified clinical success." The 40-year-old man volunteered to become the first Australian and sixth patient in the world to receive the implant. He underwent a successful heart transplant in early March.
Before this case, five similar implants were performed in the United States last year. However, none of the previous patients lived with an artificial heart for more than 27 days before receiving a donor organ.
The implanted BiVACOR device is the world's first rotary pump capable of completely replacing the functions of the human heart. The device uses magnetic levitation technology to create natural blood flow.
The artificial heart is currently in the early stages of clinical trials. The device was specifically designed for patients with biventricular heart failure, a condition that often develops after a heart attack, coronary heart disease and diabetes.
