| Tucson, Ariz. – August 28, 2007 – Dr. Marvin Slepian, co-founder and chairman of SynCardia Systems, Inc., the manufacturer of the CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t), presented at the 36th Annual Southwest Heart Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., on August 24 and 25.
Dr. Slepian, an interventional cardiologist, scientist and patent-holder in the field of cardiology, presented two lectures during the event: one on stents and the second on the artificial heart. During his TAH-t lecture, Dr. Slepian explained that the artificial heart pumps more blood than almost all human hearts.
“A TAH-t implant is like getting a donor heart from a Super Bowl MVP. Its superior pumping capability helps rejuvenate vital organs that are dying from low blood supply,” Dr. Slepian explained. “For transplant eligible patients dying from end stage biventricular failure, the TAH-t provides a second chance at life as a bridge to transplant.”
In the pivotal clinical study of the TAH-t published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM 2004; 351: 859-867), 79 percent of patients receiving the TAH-t survived to transplant, the highest survival rate for any device. The one-year survival rate for patients receiving the TAH-t was 70 percent versus 31 percent for control patients who did not receive the device.
The CardioWest TAH-t is the only FDA approved temporary artificial heart in the world. More than 650 patients have received a TAH-t, accounting for more than 100 patient years of life.
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Media Contact:
SynCardia Systems,
Inc.
Director of Communications
Don Isaacs
520-955-0660
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. SynCardia Systems is based in Tucson, Arizona and is on
the Web at http://www.syncardia.com.
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