This year’s SynCardia awards recognise leadership in the Destination Therapy clinical trial, pioneering use of the 50cc Total Artificial Heart, outstanding outcomes, implant milestones and best launch.
During the 37th annual meeting of the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation (ISHLT; 5–8 April, San Diego, USA) SynCardia Systems, LLC will honour the following eight hospitals for their use of the SynCardia temporary Total artificial heart:
Destination Therapy Leader
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, USA
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center is the leading investigational site in the US Food and Drug Administration-approved Investigational Device Exemption clinical trial of the 70cc Total artificial Heart for destination therapy.
Pioneer Award—USA
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, USA
Jaheim Whigham, 11, became the smallest and youngest patient to receive the 50cc Total artificial heart in the USA when Lurie Children’s performed its first implant in December 2016.
Pioneer Award—International
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Thanks to cooperation between these two institutions, the smallest patient to receive the 50cc Total artificial heart in Europe was successfully bridged to transplant.
Outstanding Outcomes—USA
University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Ann Arbor, USA
Eighty per cent of patients who received the SynCardia Total artificial heart at Frankel Cardiovascular Center were bridged to transplant or are currently at home on support.
Outstanding Outcomes—International
Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec, Canada
Eighty per cent of patients who received the SynCardia Total artificial heart at Montreal Heart Institute were bridged to transplant.
Best Launch Award
Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, USA
Tampa General Hospital completed certification to implant the Total artificial heart in only 82 days and performed three implants during its first year as a SynCardia Certified Center.
Milestone Award—175+ implants
Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Milestone Award—100+ implants
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, USA
Milestone Award—25 implants
University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, USA
