A Vietnam veteran who became the world’s fifth recipient of a self-contained artificial heart has been released from the hospital.
James Quinn, 51, was released Jan. 14 from Hahnemann University Hospital, 70 days after having the AbioCor artificial heart implanted, the hospital said Monday.
“We are very happy for James. We hope he can begin to truly enjoy his family in a non-hospital setting,” Dr. Louis Samuels, surgical director of the cardiac transplant team, said in a statement.
The retired banker from West Philadelphia was released to a hotel about three blocks from the hospital, with caregivers in an adjoining room.
Hahnemann is one of five sites participating in trial studies involving the AbioCor, which has been implanted in six patients who were too sick to qualify for human heart transplants. Three of those patients have died.
Abiomed Inc.’s device has an internal battery and controller that are implanted with the heart and an external battery that passes electricity through the skin. Unlike earlier artificial hearts, it has no wires or tubes that stick out of the chest.
