UK's 1st Total Artificial Heart Patient Discharged Home Using Freedom® Portable Driver

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SynCardia Systems, Inc. (www.syncardia.com), manufacturer of the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart, announced today that on Aug. 2, Papworth Hospital in Cambridge discharged the United Kingdom's first Total Artificial Heart patient to wait for a matching donor heart at home with his wife and 5-year-old son using the Freedom® portable driver.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110810/LA50030-a)

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110810/LA50030-b)

"Two years ago I was cycling nine miles to work and nine miles back every day, but by the time I was admitted to hospital, I was struggling to walk even a few yards," said Total Artificial Heart patient Matthew Green. "I am really excited about going home and just being able to do the everyday things that I haven't been able to do for such a long time, such as playing in the garden with my son and cooking a meal for my family."

Mr. Green, 40, suffered from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a heart muscle disease that results in arrhythmia, heart failure and sudden death. His health had been declining over recent years with his only available option being a heart transplant.

"Matthew's condition was deteriorating rapidly and we discussed with him the possibility of receiving this device, because without it he may not have survived the wait until a suitable donor heart could be found for him," said Mr. Steven Tsui, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Director of the Transplant Service. "The operation went extremely well and Matthew has made an excellent recovery."

On June 9, Mr. Green became the first patient in the United Kingdom to receive SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart. Two months later, he was discharged from the hospital using the Freedom portable driver. Weighing 13.5 pounds, including two onboard lithium-ion batteries, the Freedom driver is the world's first wearable portable driver designed to power SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart both inside and outside the hospital. The Freedom driver is CE approved for use in Europe and undergoing an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S.

Papworth Hospital is the first and only hospital in the UK certified to implant SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart. Papworth performed the UK's first heart transplant in 1979 and has been using mechanical devices to support patients with end-stage heart failure since the 1980's.

Watch news stories about Papworth's 1st implant

Read press release from Papworth Hospital

About the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart

SynCardia Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ) is the privately-held manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart. Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, the Total is currently approved as a bridge to transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure. More than 900 implants account for more than 210 patient years of life.

Similar to a heart transplant, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves. It is the only device that eliminates the symptoms and source of end-stage biventricular failure. The Total Artificial Heart provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 liters per minute through both ventricles. This high volume of safe blood flow helps speed the recovery of vital organs, helping make the patient a better transplant candidate.

In March 2011, Fast Company magazine ranked SynCardia #20 among the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies "for giving mobility to artificial heart recipients." Also in March, the longest running health and wellness series on public television, "Healthy Body, Healthy Mind," produced a 30-minute program featuring SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart. View here

For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com

or follow SynCardia on Twitter – @SynCardia_News

SOURCE SynCardia Systems, Inc.