Central Texas dad reverses heart failure thanks to left ventricular assist device

Toby Wise was, for the most part, the picture of good health, despite being diagnosed with an arrhythmia in his 30s. One weekend, Toby’s health issues became critical when his heart began failing — a rare cardiac event for an active man, now in his early 40s.

On June 21, 2021, after 20 days in the ICU, Dr. Jonathan Yang, surgical director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program at Heart Hospital of Austin, implanted a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Often a temporary measure while awaiting a heart transplant or a permanent solution in place of a heart transplant, an LVAD is usually placed using open-heart surgery and can stay in the body from a few weeks to a few decades.

Toby’s procedure went smoothly. After that, he had monthly appointments with his cardiologist, Dr. Jerome Thomas at Heart Hospital of Austin, to monitor his heart function. It was later discovered that Toby’s heart had fully recovered, and he was eligible for his LVAD to be removed. According to the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Toby is among one percent to two percent of patients who receive an LVAD and recover from heart failure, allowing them to be taken off the device.

Toby’s LVAD was removed by Dr. Yang in May 2023, and his heart is back to functioning normally. Doctors say Toby is one of only three percent of patients who has a fully functioning heart after cardiac failure. He’s back to living a full life and spending time with his family.