Tucson AZ USA — Medical E-Mail News™ / Oct 26 2011 —
SynCardia Systems, Inc. (http://www.syncardia.com),
manufacturer of the worlds only FDA, Health Canada and CE (Europe) approved
Total Artificial Heart, announced today that Oklahoma pastor Troy Golden has
surpassed one year of life at home using the Freedom® portable driver to power
his SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart. Mr. Golden was discharged from INTEGRIS Baptist
Medical Center
in Oklahoma City
on Oct. 18, 2010, to wait for a matching donor heart at home.
“If it wasnt for the Total Artificial Heart, I wouldnt be
alive today,” said Mr. Golden. “I truly believe having this advancement with
the Freedom driver is a blessing because I dont have to stay in the hospital.
It s a miracle to have the opportunity to be at home with my family and to
have a life again.”
Before heart failure stopped him in his tracks, Mr. Golden
had preached every Sunday for the last 12 years at the New Life Assembly of God
in Geary, OK. A little more than a month after being discharged from the
hospital, on Nov. 21, 2010, Mr. Golden gave his first sermon since receiving the Total Artificial Heart. Today, he continues to
preach at his church as well as minister to other churches in his area.
In addition, Mr. Golden, who is a big University of Oklahoma
fan, was able to attend an OU football game. During one of the television
breaks, he had the opportunity to go down to the field and accept a plaque on
behalf of INTE GRIS Baptist
Medical Center
with his cardiologist, Dr. Douglas Horstmanshof. This spring, he was also able
to attend his daughter Lauras high school graduation.
“My wife and I have talked to every patient who has received
the Total Artificial Heart after me at INTEGRIS Baptist
Medical Center,”
said Mr. Golden. “We tell them that the Total Artificial Heart will give them
the opportunity to feel good again and to get out of the hospital and enjoy
life again.”
Mr. Golden was born with a genetic condition that has been
slowly attacking his heart since birth. In January 2010, he was put on the
heart transplant list, but his condition continued to deteriorate. On Sept. 15,
2010, Mr. Golden became the first person in the region to receive SynCardias Total Artificial Heart. A month
later, on Oct. 18, 2010, he became the second Total Artificial Heart patient in U.S. history to be discharged from the hospital using the Freedom portable driver.
Mr. Golden is participating in the FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study of the Freedom
portable driver, the worlds first wearable power supply for SynCardias Total
Artificial Heart. Weighing 13.5 pounds, the Freedom driver is designed to be
carried by the patient in the Freedom Backpack or Shoulder Bag.
CAUTION – The Freedom® portable driver is an investigational
device, limited by United
States law to investigational use.
About the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart:
SynCardia Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ) is the privately-held manufacturer of the
worlds first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial
Heart. Similar to a heart transplant, the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial
Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves,
eliminating the symptoms and source of end-stage biventricular failure. Unlike
a donor heart, the Total Artificial Heart is immediately available at SynCardia Certified Centers and does not require expensive anti-rejection medication,
which can cause subsequent complications.
Originally used as a permanent replacement heart,
SynCardias Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to
transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure. There
have been more than 950 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for
more than 230 patient years of life. It is the only device that provides
immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 liters per minute through both
ventricles.
SynCardia Ranked #20 Among Worlds 50 Most Innovative
Companies:
In March 2011, Fast Company magazine ranked SynCardia #20 in its annual list of the worlds 50 Most
Innovative Companies for “giving mobility to artificial heart recipients.”
Weighing 13.5 lbs, SynCardias Freedom® portable driver is the worlds first
wearable driver designed to power the Total Artificial Heart both inside and
outside the hospital. The Freedom driver is CE approved for use in Europe and
undergoing an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S. For additional information,
please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
