|
Tucson, Ariz.-November 16, 2006 –
Six years ago, Bill Wohl spent 159 days on the CardioWest™ temporary Total
Artificial Heart (TAH‑t) awaiting a heart transplant. Since that time, Wohl has
been active in promoting organ donation and has competed in several U.S. and International
Transplant Games. On November 18th, he will be riding with the SynCardia cycling
team in El Tour de Tucson.
Bill Wohl’s story was the subject of a Fox feature
that recently won an Emmy Award for TV Excellence in News. After a massive heart
attack destroyed much of his heart, Wohl received the CardioWest™ TAH‑t.
His recovery was steady and he was eventually able to visit the hospital gym while
still on the artificial heart. This enabled Wohl to build up his strength and
endurance and become a healthier transplant candidate.
In February, 2000 a donor heart became available. Brady
Michaels, a movie actor and stuntman, died after a fall while preparing for a
stunt; Bill Wohl received his heart. Two years later, this Scottsdale resident
was riding in his first bicycle race and not long after that he began competing
in the U.S. Transplant Games.
Since that time, Wohl has competed in Transplant Games
around the world in cycling, swimming and track and has won numerous medals, most
recently at the Australian Transplant games, winning medals in all three fields.
Wohl looks forward to El Tour de Tucson each year, riding with the doctors who
saved his life.
This year, the SynCardia team consists of friends and
supporters of the mission of SynCardia and represents a wide cross-section of
riders. Twenty-five cyclists ranging in ages from 14 to 64 are currently riding
under the SynCardia banner for this year's El Tour de Tucson. Each cyclist has
ridden from four to seven thousand miles over the past year in preparation for
El Tour.
The team is captained by SynCardia Founder Dr. Marvin
J. Slepian. The youngest SynCardia rider is Robert Chorost, a Canyon Del Oro High
School student who is also a talented basketball player. The oldest is Bob Gensler,
retired from IBM, and a participant in many Arizona cycling events.
The CardioWest™ TAH‑t replaces the patient's dying heart. In most patients
it is able to restore cardiac output. This facilitates recovery of vital organs,
such as the liver and kidneys that have declined because of low blood flow. This
improves the condition of patients who were near death from end stage biventricular
heart failure. The TAH‑t makes them better able to survive a heart transplant.
"The CardioWest™ saved my life and I hope that there will be lots of
other people who will have this second chance," said Wohl.
# # #
Media contact:
SynCardia Director of Communications
Donald Isaacs
Cell: 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.
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
- Resources for Reporters
|
