Saint Thomas Health is the first health system in Tennessee to offer Total Artificial Heart (TAH) as part of their cardiac treatment services. Ashok N. Babu, M.D., will serve as surgical director of the program and Kyle Stribling, M.D. will serve as medical director.

The technology is now being used by the cardiac experts of Saint Thomas Heart. It is funded in part by the Speer Foundation.

The Total Artificial Heart (TAH) is a life-saving treatment option provided to individuals eligible for heart transplant surgery who have end-stage heart failure affecting both sides of the heart (biventricular failure). The artificial heart replaces both lower chambers of the heart (the left and right ventricles) and the four heart valves and occupies the space of the removed heart. It is connected to an external machine called a driver, which pumps and monitors the TAH. The TAH increases chances of survival, allows an enhanced quality of life, including discharge home, and prepares those eligible for transplant by restoring blood flow and optimizing organ function.

"We are honored to be the first in Tennessee to integrate Total Artificial Heart into the comprehensive cardiac services offered by our cardiologists and heart surgeons at Saint Thomas Health," said Fahad Tahir, President and CEO, Nashville's Saint Thomas Midtown and West Hospitals. "This technology continues a legacy of innovation, allowing us to save lives and improve the quality of life for individuals requiring highly specialized heart care. We are so appreciative of the Speer Foundation for supporting this important initiative."

"The Total Artificial Heart technology gives individuals who are too ill to wait for a heart transplant a second chance at life. We are proud to be the first heart transplant program in Tennessee to provide this valuable technology to patients," said Ashok N. Babu, M.D., Saint Thomas Heart Cardiac Surgeon. "This device will allow patient mobility and a more active, higher quality of life for individuals waiting for a heart transplant who previously had no other options."

As the largest heart failure program in the state, Saint Thomas Heart serves more than 5,000 advanced heart care patients each year in physician practices and hospitals throughout the region.

The technology is provided through a partnership between Saint Thomas Health and SynCardia, the manufacturer of the world's only commercially approved Total Artificial Heart.