St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney has achieved a world-first in cardiac care, successfully implanting the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart and discharging the patient — the first time this has been accomplished anywhere in the world.
The groundbreaking six-hour procedure took place on 22 November 2024, led by our own cardiothoracic and transplant surgeon, Dr Paul Jansz. The patient, a man in his 40s from New South Wales, had been experiencing severe heart failure and volunteered to become the first Australian recipient of this revolutionary device.
Following a period of intensive care and close monitoring by our expert heart failure team, led by Professor Chris Hayward, the patient was discharged in early February 2025. He later received a donor heart in March, setting a global record for the longest duration a patient has lived with the BiVACOR device before transplant.
“This is a proud moment for St Vincent’s and for Australian medicine,” said Dr Jansz. “We’ve been at the forefront of heart care for decades, and this achievement continues that legacy.”
This is a proud moment for St Vincent’s and for Australian medicine.
Dr Paul Jansz, cardiothoracic and transplant surgeon.
The implant is part of the Artificial Heart Frontiers Program, a Monash University-led initiative supported by a $50 million grant from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund. The program aims to transform treatment for advanced heart failure and position Australia as a global leader in cardiac device innovation.
The BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart, developed by Queensland-born Dr Daniel Timms, is designed to keep patients alive while they await a donor heart — and ultimately, to serve as a long-term alternative to transplantation.
“This device represents the future of heart failure treatment,” said Professor Hayward. “It offers new hope to patients who might otherwise run out of time waiting for a transplant.”
St Vincent’s has a proud history of cardiac innovation — from Australia’s first heart transplant in 1968, to the establishment of the National Heart Transplant Program in 1984, and the development of the world-first “heart in a box” technology in 2014. This latest achievement adds another chapter to that legacy.
“As Australia’s leading heart and lung transplant centre, St Vincent’s was the natural home for this historic procedure,” said Dr Jansz. “We’re honoured to have played a key role in this global breakthrough.”
The BiVACOR implant in Sydney is the sixth in the world and the first outside the United States. It marks a major step forward in the Artificial Heart Frontiers Program, which brings together leading researchers, clinicians, and engineers from across Australia.
This device represents the future of heart failure treatment.
Professor Chris Hayward
This is more than a medical milestone, it’s a testament to what’s possible when innovation, expertise, and compassion come together.
-Professor Chris Hayward
Cardiac Mechanics Lab