User blog comment:Xilinoc/ch. 544 - Walking With Watchers/@comment-5657895-20130703170757/@comment-11051098-20130703184338

He cut Tesla down the middle, apparently in half. The last we saw of him was shedding a tear as Nnoitra died, and I assumed Tesla died too. But he didn't appear to have any cut wound when he reverted back to his sealed form.

From how he looked, I'd say he might have survived. Maybe Orihime healed him before Starrk kidnapped her.