On Oct. 22, CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart patient Mr. Potiron shed 430 lbs when he was switched to the 20-lb CE-approved portable driver after nearly a year of support on the 450-lb hospital driver “Big Blue” at University Hospital of Nantes. “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the CardioWest artificial heart,” said Mr. Potiron. “I am very grateful for my second chance at life. However, it has been difficult for me over the past year because I’ve been pushing around an extra 450 lbs. Now with the portable driver, I can go for a walk in the park, buy a newspaper and get a drink at the cafeteria.”

“In some European countries, artificial heart patients can wait up to two years for a matching donor heart,” said Prof. Daniel Duveau, the medical director for University Hospital of Nantes and a CardioWest certified proctor. “Even though Mr. Potiron is stable and doing well, the 450-lb hospital driver that powered his artificial heart during surgery and recovery limited his mobility. Now that he is using a portable driver, his quality of life has improved dramatically.”

“We have waited for a long time to put one of our patients on the portable driver because it is in limited supply,” said Prof. Duveau. “If we had a back-up portable driver for Mr. Potiron, we would be able to discharge him to wait at home for a matching donor heart. We eagerly await the arrival of the new Companion Driver System so that more of our artificial heart patients can enjoy a near-normal quality of life at home. Many of these patients can shop, travel, visit family and participate in other normal activities.”