Man Survives 100 Days with Artificial Titanium Heart in Groundbreaking Trial

An Australian man lived for 100 days with an artificial titanium heart while awaiting a donor transplant, marking the longest period anyone has used the technology to date.

The patient, a man in his 40s who chose to remain anonymous, received the implant during surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney last November.

In February, he became the first person worldwide to leave the hospital with the device, which sustained him until a heart donor became available earlier this month.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday, March 12, by St. Vincent’s Hospital, Monash University, and BiVACOR, the US-Australian company behind the device, the man, who had severe heart failure, is “recovering well.”

The device’s ability to sustain him for such an extended period is being hailed as a milestone, suggesting the artificial heart could potentially offer a long-term solution for people suffering from heart failure. However, the device is still under trial and has not yet been approved for general use.

BiVACOR’s founder, Australian bioengineer Daniel Timms, who invented the device after his father’s death from heart disease, described it as “exhilarating to see decades of work come to fruition.”

“The entire BiVACOR team is deeply grateful to the patient and his family for placing their trust in our Total Artificial Heart,” he said in the statement. “Their bravery will pave the way for countless more patients to receive this lifesaving technology.”

The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) features a single moving part—a levitated rotor held in place by magnets. Constructed entirely from titanium, the device has no valves or mechanical bearings that could be prone to wear.

It is designed to pump blood to both the body and the lungs, effectively replacing both ventricles of a failing heart.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, claiming approximately 18 million lives each year, according to the World Health Organization.

The long-term goal is to use the device to save more people who are stuck on waiting lists for suitable donors. According to the U.S. Health Department, about 3,500 people received heart transplants in 2024, while around 4,400 joined the waiting list the same year.

Professor Chris Hayward from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute stated that the BiVACOR heart represents “a whole new ball game for heart transplants.”

“Within the next decade we will see the artificial heart becoming the alternative for patients who are unable to wait for a donor heart or when a donor heart is simply not available,” said Hayward, who is overseeing the Australian patient’s recovery and was involved in preparing the device for clinical trials.

The device has already undergone testing in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Early Feasibility Study, during which five patients were successfully implanted with the artificial heart.