Abiomed says first AbioCor heart patient has died

Abiomed says first patient implanted with heart replacement died after about 10 weeks

• On 5:13 pm EDT, Tuesday September 1, 2009

DANVERS, Mass. (AP) -- Abiomed Inc. said Tuesday the first patient implanted with its AbioCor artificial heart outside a clinical trial died about 10 weeks after surgery.

The company said the 76-year-old man died of postoperative problems that were not related to the AbioCor Total Replacement Heart device itself. The patient, whose name was not given, had the device implanted on June 15 and died Aug. 23. Abiomed said the man's other health problems prevented him from fully recovering from the operation.

The patient had late stage congestive heart failure but was not eligible for other treatments.

The AbioCor device is made of titanium and has an internal motor that simulates a heartbeat, and a rechargeable battery instead of an external power device. The device was granted Food and Drug Administration approval in September 2006, and Medicare agreed to cover AbioCor, which costs $250,000, but the item had never been used outside of a clinical trial.

In June, Abiomed said the patient was strong and having a stable recovery after his surgery, which was performed at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey. The device has not been implanted in any other patients.

Shares of Abiomed lost 2 cents to $7.95 in aftermarket trading.

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