Beating Heart Transplants —Overview and Implications for Anesthesiologists

As the demand for heart allografts for transplantation continues to rise, ex vivo organ perfusion strategies are playing an increasingly important role in the preservation of organs from donation after circulatory death and extended-criteria donors. One such method uses the Organ Care System (TransMedics, Andover, MA). Traditionally, this technique of preservation requires 2 periods of warm ischemia and subsequent cardioplegic arrest. In a novel surgical technique pioneered at the authors ’ institution, heart allograft implantation no longer requires a second cardioplegic arrest.

Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - December 22, 2023 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Perin Kothari, Larissa Miyachi Kiwakyou, Brandon A. Guenthart, Matthew Vanneman Tags: Special Article Source Type: research