Press Release:

Joseph Cox received his donor heart transplant after 39 days of life with the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart. He is pictured here with his partner of nine years, Karen Cottrell.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Dec. 17, 2009 – On Dec. 2, 29-year-old Joseph Cox was discharged from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center with his new donor heart after 39 days of life with the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart. Cox was VCU’s 25th patient to receive the Total Artificial Heart and the 10th implant of 2009.

“The patients who get the Total Artificial Heart are the sickest of the patients,” said Cox’s surgeon Dr. Vigneshwar Kasirajan, Chair of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. “They are very ill – their life expectancy is measured in days and weeks. We have implanted a total of 27 Total Artificial Hearts in the last two and a half years. None of these patients would have done well with a conventional device because they were just too sick for an LVAD.”

Click the image above to see a video of Joseph Cox and his Total Artificial Heart surgeon, Dr. Vigneshwar Kasirajan.

Cox was hospitalized after suffering 50 blood clots and two strokes. According to Cox, he was supposed to receive a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), but his heart became so sick that on Oct. 6, his doctors implanted the Total Artificial Heart instead. He received his matching donor heart on Nov. 14.

“Before the Total Artificial Heart, I had no energy, I always wanted to sleep, I didn’t want to eat,” said Cox. “Now, I can play football and basketball with the kids and return to work. You’ve got to keep faith and be strong in everything. You can’t just give up on life.”

Since Cox’s implant, two more patients have received Total Artificial Hearts at VCU Medical Center, totaling 12 implants this year and 27 overall. Both patients are currently on the device waiting for a matching donor heart transplant.

“This experience made me realize life is nothing to play with,” said Cox’s partner of nine years Karen Cottrell. “We’ve gone through a lot, we’ve seen a lot and we’ve learned a lot. He’s doing amazing and God is good.”

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About SynCardia Systems, Inc.

SynCardia Systems, Inc. is the Tucson-based manufacturer of the world’s only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart: the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart. There have been more than 800 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 180 patient years of life on the device. 

Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, the Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to human heart transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular failure. The Total Artificial Heart is the only device that provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 L/min through both ventricles.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
or follow SynCardia on Twitter – @SynCardia_News

Media Contact:
Don Isaacs
Vice President of Communications
SynCardia Systems, Inc.
Cell: (520) 955-0660