SynCardia Systems Inc. announced that Cleveland Clinic has performed the world’s first Total Artificial Heart to dual heart and liver transplant.
After living with the total artificial heart for 113 days, on May 1, 2009, Dr. Michael Zabell received the donor heart and liver during a 14-hour surgery involving two different transplant teams.
Zabell was first admitted to the hospital to wait for a heart transplant on Aug. 18, 2008. He was given medication to help his heart function, but his condition continued to deteriorate. By January 8, 2009, his heart had become so weak that doctors needed to implant the Total Artificial Heart to buy him more time until a matching donor heart and liver could be found.
Today, Zabell is enjoying life at home with his wife and two daughters. Nicholas Smedira, MD, and Randall Starling, MD, were the lead physicians. Smedira is a paid consultant for SynCardia.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
This is truly an amazing accomplishment.
Having trained as a Surgeon at the Baylor College of Medicine with Dr. DeBakey, I can clearly give the Cleveland Clinic and the entire Surgical team there my congratulations