St Vincent’s Makes History with Australia’s First Total Artificial Heart Implant

St Vincent’s Makes History with Australia’s First Total Artificial Heart Implant

12 Mar 2025

St Vincent’s has once again cemented its reputation as a global leader in cardiac care by successfully implanting Australia’s first BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart.

This groundbreaking procedure, performed late last year, marks a new era in heart transplantation and offers new hope to patients suffering from heart failure.

For decades, St Vincent’s and its research partner, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, have been at the forefront of heart health, pioneering life-changing treatments and cutting-edge technology. From Australia’s first heart transplant in 1968 by Dr Harry Windsor to Dr Victor Chang’s establishment of the National Heart Transplant Program, innovation has been at the heart of St Vincent’s mission.

The latest breakthrough saw a team led by St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney’s Dr Paul Jansz implant the revolutionary BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, a titanium device with a single moving part, no valves, and a no-contact suspension system, designed to eliminate mechanical wear.

Initially developed as a bridge to transplantation, the long-term vision for this device is to serve as a permanent replacement for a human heart. 

Under the expert care of Professor Chris Hayward and his dedicated team, the patient was discharged in early February, making the patient the first person in the world to leave a hospital with the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart. After more than 100 days – the longest period for a patient with this implant – they successfully received a donor heart transplant in early March, and are now recovering well.

This historic achievement would not have been possible without the support of the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation, which has raised $41 million for the Heart Lung Innovation Fund since 2014. Thanks to this generosity, St Vincent’s continues to push the boundaries of medical science and improve outcomes for patients.

With heart failure claiming nearly 5,000 Australian lives each year, St Vincent’s is committed to pioneering new treatments and advancing heart health.

In May, the hospital will continue its leadership in this field by hosting Australia’s first Heart Health Summit, bringing together experts to discuss the future of cardiac care.

This latest success reaffirms St Vincent’s role as a global leader in heart health, offering renewed hope to patients and their families while shaping the future of cardiac treatment.