Australian man discharged after 100 days with artificial heart

An Australian man in his 40s has become the first person to be discharged from the hospital after receiving the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart. He lived with the implant for over 100 days before undergoing a heart transplant in March. The BiVACOR heart is designed to fully replace heart functions for patients with severe heart failure. Previous patients in the U.S. did not survive long enough to be discharged after receiving the implant. Doctors hope the BiVACOR heart can eventually serve as a long-term replacement for heart transplants. More patients are expected to receive the implant this year as part of ongoing clinical trials in Australia.