Sacred Heart Medical Center to Become 14thU.S. SynCardia Certified Center
TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On Oct. 4 & 5, the surgical team from Sacred Heart Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in the Northwest, led by Timothy B. Icenogle, M.D., Director of the Mechanical Heart Program, completed the first phase of certification to implant the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart. Sacred Heart is scheduled to complete Phase II of certification on Oct. 12 & 13, followed by the proctored first implant after an appropriate patient has been identified.
Dr. Timothy B. Icenogle, Director of the Mechanical Heart Program, Sacred Heart Medical Center (Photo: Business Wire)
“At Sacred Heart, we receive lots of referrals from local and regional facilities for their most severe and complicated cardiac cases,” said Dr. Icenogle. “We are very excited to offer the Total Artificial Heart to patients dying from biventricular heart failure. The Total Artificial Heart serves as a life-saving bridge to transplant for some of the sickest patients.”
Dr. Icenogle completed his residency in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Arizona under the leadership of Dr. Jack Copeland, who has performed more than 100 implants of the Total Artificial Heart. Upon performing its first implant, Sacred Heart will become the 1stSynCardia Certified Center in the Northwest and the 14th in the U.S. Dr. Icenogle previously implanted the Total Artificial Heart when he was an assistant professor at the University of Arizona.
Sacred Heart has had excellent heart transplant survival rates and its permanent mechanical heart assist device survival rates have now reached 90%, among the highest in the nation. Sacred Heart performs three times as many cardiovascular procedures as any other hospital in the region (Department of Health, 2006) and ranks in the nation’s top 10% of hospitals in treating patients for heart attack and congestive heart failure, according to Premier, Inc.
About SynCardia Systems, Inc.
SynCardia Systems, Inc. is the Tucson-based manufacturer of the world’s only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart: the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart. There have been more than 850 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 200 patient years of life on the device.
Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, the Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to human heart transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular failure. The Total Artificial Heart is the only device that provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 L/min through both ventricles.
For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
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CONTACT:
SynCardia Systems, Inc.
Don Isaacs
Vice President of Communications
Cell: 520-955-0660
KEYWORDS: United States North America Arizona
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Surgery Health Cardiology Hospitals Medical Devices Nursing General Health
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| Dr. Timothy B. Icenogle, Director of the Mechanical Heart Program, Sacred Heart Medical Center (Photo: Business Wire) |