SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                               ------------------

                                    FORM 6-K

                        REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

                    Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                         For the month of: November 2003

                        Commission File Number: 000-28882

                             World Heart Corporation
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

                                       N/A
                 -----------------------------------------------
                 (Translation of registrant's name into English)

                                     Ontario
                         ------------------------------
                         (Jurisdiction of organization)

                     1 Laser Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2E 7V1
                    ----------------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                  Registrant's telephone number: (613) 226-4278

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

                      Form 20-F  X           Form 40-F
                                ---                    ---

Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this
Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

                             Yes              No  X
                                 ---             ---

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
<PAGE>

This Form 6-K consists of the following:

1.   Press release of World Heart Corporation ("WorldHeart"), dated November 5,
     2003, announcing that subject to the approval of the Food and Drug
     Administration, WorldHeart intends to conduct a Pivotal Trial in
     approximately 30 centers in the United States, in which Novacor(R) LVAS
     (left ventricular assist system) is compared to HeartMate(R) XVE LVAS (left
     ventricular assist system) in use as Destination Therapy for patients
     suffering from irreversible left ventricular failure who are not transplant
     candidates.

The information contained in this Report is incorporated by reference into
Registration Statement No. 333-109876 on Form F-3.
<PAGE>

News Release

For Immediate Release

                              WorldHeart Announces
                    Novacor(R) LVAS vs. HeartMate(R) XVE LVAS
                      Randomized Destination Therapy Trial

                          CMS Reimbursement Anticipated

OAKLAND,  CA -  November  5,  2003  (OTCBB:  WHRTF,  TSX:  WHT)  -  World  Heart
Corporation  (WorldHeart)  announced today that, subject to approval of the Food
and Drug  Administration  (FDA),  it  intends  to  conduct  a  Pivotal  Trial in
approximately  30 centers in the United States,  in which  Novacor(R) LVAS (left
ventricular   assist  system)  is  compared  to  HeartMate(R)   XVE  LVAS  (left
ventricular assist system) in use as Destination  Therapy for patients suffering
from irreversible left ventricular failure who are not transplant candidates.

An  Investigational  Device  Exemption (IDE) and Category B were approved by the
FDA in connection with the  Feasibility  Study for  Destination  Therapy,  named
INTrEPID  (Investigation  of  Non-Transplant-Eligible  Patients who are Inotrope
Dependent).  Devices  implanted  pursuant  to a  Category  B IDE are  considered
non-experimental  and are generally eligible for Medicare  coverage.  WorldHeart
expects to receive  approval for the Pivotal Trial and will commence  enrollment
of patients during the first quarter of 2004.

WorldHeart also announced that it has had discussions  with officials of Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid  Services  (CMS),  and is confident  that with Pivotal
Trial design  satisfactory  to CMS,  reimbursement  coverage will be extended to
both  Novacor  LVAS and  HeartMate  used in the  Trial,  on the same basis as is
available for use of LVADs as Destination Therapy.

"A direct and  unquestionable  randomized  comparison  between  Novacor LVAS and
HeartMate for Destination  Therapy is very exciting for us. We have a high level
of confidence in our product,  after more than 1490  implants,  and expect Trial
results to confirm its efficacy and  long-term  reliability,"  said  Roderick M.
Bryden,  President and CEO of WorldHeart.  "We are optimistic that enrollment of
centers to participate in this study will be  expeditious.  Several  centers now
using Novacor LVAS are also HeartMate users, and the Customer Funding Program we
announced a few weeks ago will permit  centers that presently use only HeartMate
to enter the Trial without the need for  financial  investment.  This,  together
with patient  reimbursement,  should  remove  financial  constraints  that could
otherwise slow enrollment of centers and patients," Mr. Bryden said.

Final Trial design and  implementation  is subject to approval by the FDA.  Size
and  duration  of the  Trial  will be  announced  as and when that  approval  is
received.

WorldHeart confirmed that discussions are continuing with the FDA respecting its
request  for  expansion  of  the  current  Novacor  LVAS  Label  for  Bridge  to
Transplantation,   to  include  some  patients  who  are  not   candidates   for
transplantation at the time of implant.  WorldHeart now expects decision on this
expansion to be announced early in the New Year.
<PAGE>

About Novacor LVAS
Novacor  LVAS is an  implanted  electromagnetically  driven  pump that  provides
circulatory  support  by  taking  over part or all of the  workload  of the left
ventricle.  With implants in over 1490 patients,  no deaths have been attributed
to device failure,  and some recipients have lived with their original pumps for
as long as four years - statistics  unmatched by any other implanted  mechanical
circulatory support device on the market.

Novacor LVAS is commercially approved as a bridge to transplantation in the U.S.
and Canada. In Europe,  the Novacor LVAS has unrestricted  approval for use as a
bridge to  transplantation,  an  alternative to  transplantation  and to support
patients who may have an ability to recover the use of their natural  heart.  In
Japan,  the device is commercially  approved for use in cardiac patients at risk
of imminent death from  non-reversible  left ventricular failure for which there
is no alternative except heart transplantation.

World  Heart  Corporation,  a global  medical  device  company  based in Ottawa,
Ontario and Oakland,  California,  is currently  focused on the  development and
commercialization  of pulsatile  ventricular  assist  devices.  Its Novacor LVAS
(Left Ventricular  Assist System) is well established in the marketplace and its
next-generation  technology,  HeartSaverVAD(TM),  is a fully implantable  assist
device intended for long-term support of patients with heart failure.

Any  forward-looking  statements  in this release are made  pursuant to the safe
harbour  provisions  of the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.
Investors are cautioned  that all  forward-looking  statements  involve risk and
uncertainties,  including without  limitation,  risks in product development and
market  acceptance  of and  demand  for the  Corporation's  products,  risks  of
downturns in economic conditions generally,  and in the medical devices markets,
risks  associated  with  costs  and  delays  posed  by  government   regulation,
limitations  on third  party  reimbursement,  inability  to protect  proprietary
technology,  potential  product  liability  and  other  risks  detailed  in  the
Corporation's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, please contact:
Dani Kennedy
World Heart Corporation
(613) 226-4278, ext: 2320, or (510) 563-4995
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                              World Heart Corporation

         Date: November 6, 2003               By: /s/  Mark Goudie
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Name:   Mark Goudie
                                                 Title:  Chief Financial Officer