Tempe man with heart failure among handful of people to receive total artificial heart

TEMPE, AZ — A Tempe man is one of a handful of people around the globe to receive a completely artificial heart.

In August, Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix became the third hospital in the world to implant a BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart. The device is part of an “FDA early feasibility study” involving five patients.

Stephan Crudup was one of those recipients. He had been suffering from severe heart failure and was supported by the device for nearly a month before he successfully received the implant and began his recovery.

“I’m thriving, surviving, and living better than I was with my sick heart,” Crudup shared, as reported by Banner Health.

Crudup is one of millions of people in the United States diagnosed with heart failure. Fewer than 6,000 heart transplants are performed each year globally.

According to Banner Health, “total artificial hearts are used as a bridge-to-transplant for patients with severe heart failure, helping to keep them alive while they await a donor heart.”

The device is constructed from titanium and features a blood pump with a single moving part that facilitates blood circulation. Its technology operates on principles similar to those used in high-speed trains, as stated by Banner Health.

In addition to Crudup’s remarkable journey, other inspiring stories are emerging from the Valley. For instance, Valley parents are transforming their grief into progress after the loss of their infant daughter to leukemia, and a Valley teen has been recognized for donating dog booties to assist pet owners in need. Furthermore, a Scottsdale student with autism has made incredible strides by being elected class president, and a Glendale caregiver has received national recognition for her care and dedication to her clients.