Cy-Fair woman receives artificial heart

Cy-Fair resident Shawn Galloway recently received a SynCardia Total Artificial Heart.

Galloway, 38, was one of four patients with biventricular end-stage heart failure to receive the artificial heart from doctors at the Texas Heart Institute (THI) at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital.

Similar to a heart transplant, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves. In most cases, SynCardia's heart restores blood flow, pumping up to 9.5 liters per minute, and eliminates complications associated with the patients failing heart. This helps vital organs to recover faster and allows patients to be better transplanting candidates when a donor heart does become available.

“We’ve come a long way since that first implant, and I am proud that THI continues to lead the way in such technology to help patients,” said THI’s founder Dr. Denton A. Cooley, who performed the world's first artificial heart implant in 1969.

The implants were performed at St. Luke’s by Dr. Igor D. Gregoric, director of THI’s Center for Cardiac Support and associate director of cardiovascular surgery and transplant research. As part of the transplant team, cardiologists Dr. Pranav Loyalka and Dr. Biswajit Kar played key roles in bringing the device to THI at St. Luke’s.

The SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart was approved by the FDA in 2004 after a 10-year clinical study. It serves as a bridge to transplant for patients with both sides of their heart failing. In many cases, patients have only two options, an immediate transplant or the SynCardia device, until a donor heart can be found.