Tucson, Ariz. - November 21, 2007-On
Nov. 17, Drs.
Marvin Slepian and Jack
Copeland, co-founders of artificial heart manufacturer SynCardia
Systems, Inc., led SynCardia’s cycling team to promote cardiovascular
health in America’s largest perimeter bicycle race, the 25th Annual El Tour
de Tucson.
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Dr. Slepian, an interventional
cardiologist at University
Medical Center (UMC) and
SynCardia’s chairman and
chief scientific and medical
officer, captained the
40-member team. Team
SynCardia consists of friends
and supporters of SynCardia,
which manufactures the
CardioWest™
temporary Total
Artificial Heart (TAH-t). The team
is represented by a wide
cross-section of riders:
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CardioWest™ artificial heart recipient Bill Wohl (middle) rides with Dr.
Marvin Slepian (left) and Dr. Jack Copeland, the doctors who saved his life in
2000. Photo by Michael Craig |
- Dr. Copeland: One of the world’s
most respected cardiothoracic surgeons, Copeland has cycled in more than 15 El
Tours and was named by the Arizona Daily Star as one of the Top
25 El Tour Personalities. Copeland made history in August 1985, when he became
the first surgeon to successfully use the artificial heart as a bridge to human
heart transplant.
- Tyler and Mimi Ford: Tyler is the son of
SynCardia CEO and President Rodger Ford. Tyler and his wife Mimi won the tandem
109-mile race last year, and also made the list of Top 25 El Tour Personalities.
- Bill Wohl: Wohl
was a CardioWest™ artificial heart recipient in 1999. He was successfully
bridged to a human heart transplant after 159 days on the artificial heart. Since
receiving his donor heart in February 2000, Wohl has competed in Transplant Games
all over the world in swimming, track and cycling. Wohl looks forward to El Tour
each year, riding with Dr. Copeland and the other doctors who saved his life.
- Steve Langford: SynCardia’s Vice
President of Clinical Support, Langford
has been working with the artificial heart since 1985 when it was originally known
as the Jarvik 7.
El Tour’s silver anniversary
was marked by UMC’s first year as the title sponsor of the event. UMC is
one of 22
heart centers worldwide certified to implant the CardioWest artificial heart.
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The CardioWest TAH-t is the
only FDA and CE approved temporary Total Artificial Heart in the world. Originally
designed as a permanent replacement heart, it is currently approved as a bridge
to human heart transplant for patients dying from end stage biventricular failure.
The pivotal clinical study
of the TAH-t published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM 2004; 351:
859-867) showed that 79 percent of patients receiving the TAH-t survived to transplant,
the highest survival rate for any device in the world.
Media Contact:
SynCardia Systems, Inc.
Director of Communications
Don Isaacs
cell: 520-955-0660
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| Dr. Marvin Slepian, captain of Team SynCardia. |
Members of Team SynCardia on race day. |
Dr. Slepian, his daughter Becca and one of her friends. |
Dr. Slepian and his daughter Sara. |
Dr. Jack Copeland and Dr. Slepian. |
Photographer: Michael Craig
About the CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial
Heart
The CardioWest™ TAH‑t is a pneumatic, biventricular, implantable bridge-to-transplant
system for full cardiac replacement, taking the place of the failing heart in
patients at imminent risk of death. The device offers full circulatory support,
the shortest blood path and exposure to artificial surfaces, and the highest level
of cardiac output when compared with other artificial heart systems previously
tested. With the CardioWest™ TAH‑t, patients become better candidates
for eventual transplantation and have post-transplant survival rates equal to
that of non-device cardiac recipients.
About SynCardia Systems
Founded in 2001, SynCardia Systems is the developer of biomechanical cardiac replacement
and assist devices. Its CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH‑t)
is designed for severely ill patients with end-stage congestive heart failure.
The device serves as an in-hospital bridge-to-transplantation for patients at
imminent risk of death. S
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