Australian man survives 100 days with artificial heart in world-first success
An Australian man lived with a totally artificial heart for 100 days before receiving a donor heart transplant in early March. The BiVACOR total artificial heart uses magnetic levitation technology to replicate the natural blood flow of a healthy heart. The implant is still in the early stages of clinical study, but it looks to be a promising alternative for patients who are unable to wait for a donor heart or when a donor heart is simply not available. There is still a long way to go before the artificial heart could be considered a replacement for a heart transplant - the functioning time span of the device is still significantly less than that of a donor heart.