UCSF Health announced on Mar. 12 that it has performed its first heart transplant for a patient who previously received an artificial heart. The patient, a 37-year-old from the Central Valley, arrived at UCSF in August 2025 and underwent implantation of the artificial heart during a six-hour operation at the UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights. He was discharged in September and received a heart transplant three months later during an eight-hour procedure.
The use of a mechanical heart is intended for patients with end-stage heart failure, serving as a temporary replacement for both ventricles until a suitable donor organ becomes available. UCSF Health is currently the only active program in Northern California to implant this fully mechanical device, known as the Total Artificial Heart (TAH). To date, four TAHs have been implanted by UCSF Health.
The surgeries were performed by Dr. Amy Fiedler, surgical director of the heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support program, and Dr. Jason W. Smith, chief of cardiac surgery and lung transplantation. “We are incredibly proud of our program and our patients,” said Fiedler, who previously led what is believed to be the world’s first all-female heart transplant at UCSF in 2022.
“As an institution, we have been advancing patient care in an innovative and thoughtful manner, especially for the sickest patients suffering from end-stage heart failure,” she said. “The creation and success of our Total Artificial Heart program demonstrate the commitment we have to bringing the gift of heart transplant to those who need it most.”
Looking ahead, UCSF plans to open a clinical trial involving new artificial heart technology using the BiVACOR titanium device, which recently received FDA “breakthrough” status and is under investigational study prior to full approval.
UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center ranks among the country’s top specialty hospitals for adult care according to U.S. News & World Report and holds top ratings in cardiology procedures including aortic valve surgery.
