WorldHeart Announces Levacor(R) VAD Implant at Tampa General Hospital; Enrollment in Bridge-to-Transplant Study Continues to be Slow as WorldHeart Makes Refinements to Levacor VAD

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 12, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Heart Corporation (WorldHeart) (Nasdaq:WHRT), a developer of mechanical circulatory systems, announced today that Tampa General Hospital (Tampa General) in Tampa, Florida has successfully implanted its first Levacor Ventricular Assist Device (VAD). Tampa General is the sixth implanting site nationwide in the Levacor VAD Bridge-to-Transplant (BTT) Study. This is the 15th implant with the Levacor VAD since the inception of the BTT Study.