Press Release:

CardioWest patient Vanessa Cirillo, 28.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Feb. 14, 2008 – At age 20, Vanessa Cirillo suffered a heart attack caused by a virus. She recovered and lived a healthy life until June 2007, when her heart condition became critical. Her heart had enlarged several times its normal size (cardiomyopathy). It was no longer pumping enough blood to sustain her body. She needed a heart transplant but no donor heart was available. To save her life, she was flown from a Las Vegas hospital to University Medical Center (UMC) in Tucson, Ariz.

On Aug. 10, 2007, doctors removed Vanessa’s dying heart and implanted the CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) as a bridge to human heart transplant.

“Vanessa is only about 5’4, 117 pounds, so we didn’t think the CardioWest artificial heart was going to fit,” explained UMC surgeon Dr. Jack Copeland. “However, because of her enlarged heart, there was enough space to implant the CardioWest. This saved her life because she suffered an unrelated intestinal infection. If she had been on a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) or any other device, the infection would have killed her.”

Vanessa Cirillo, 28, was implanted with her CardioWest artificial heart on Aug. 10, 2007.

Boxing Her Way To Health

With the help of the artificial heart, Vanessa fought through her infection and recovered. Once stabilized, Vanessa began to hit the gym with UMC staff. Physical therapist Robert Bailey challenged her with an increasingly rigorous work-out schedule, which included boxing.

“The boxing is so much fun,” said Vanessa while she was on the artificial heart. “I’ve never done it before. It’s a very good work out and it’s just invigorating. You’re totally outside of what’s going on with you physically, in the sense of having the artificial heart. It was amazing to me, when I first did it. I couldn’t believe that I actually was boxing.”

While on the CardioWest artificial heart, Vanessa Cirillo boxing.

On Nov. 24, 2007, after 106 days on the CardioWest artificial heart, Vanessa received her donor heart. Eleven days later she was discharged. Today, Vanessa is enjoying life with her mom, friends and family. She recently moved into her own Tucson apartment and continues to box and work out as part of her heart transplant rehabilitation. Next fall she hopes to start pursuing a degree in nutrition at the University of Arizona. Watch footage of Vanessa boxing here.           

February Heart Month – Go Red for Women: Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. Perceived as a disease that predominantly affects men, the American Heart Association is trying to increase heart disease awareness among women. Check out the Go Red for Women movement at: http://www.goredforwomen.org/

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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, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure. There have been more than 1,000 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 250 patient years of life.

Similar to a heart transplant, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves, eliminating the symptoms and source of end-stage biventricular failure. Unlike a donor heart, the Total Artificial Heart is immediately available at SynCardia Certified Centers and does not require expensive anti-rejection medication, which can cause subsequent complications. It is the only device that 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.

SynCardia Ranked #20 Among World's 50 Most Innovative Companies
In March 2011, Fast Company magazine ranked SynCardia #20 in its annual list of the "World's 50 Most Innovative Companies" for "giving mobility to artificial heart recipients." Weighing 13.5 pounds, SynCardia's Freedom® portable driver is the world's first wearable driver designed to power the 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.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
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Media Contact:
Don Isaacs
Vice President of Communications
SynCardia Systems, Inc.
Cell: (520) 955-0660