Successful Heart Transplant after Ten Hours Out-of-body Time using the TransMedics Organ Care System

Heart Lung Circ. 2015 Jun;24(6):611-3. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2015.01.005. Epub 2015 Feb 6.

Abstract

Objective: We report the successful transplantation of a heart following an out-of-body time of 611 minutes into a recipient with dilated cardiomyopathy and left ventricular assist device implant.

Patients: Our patient was urgently waiting for a cardiac transplant whilst receiving LVAD support. Recurrent VF and repeated AICD shocks necessitated this action.

Results: Although requiring ECMO and inotropic support in the first 17 hours post-transplant, the patient was discharged from hospital on day 15 post-transplant with normal cardiac function.

Conclusion: We report some of the salient points of the process and discuss the utility of this technology to an Australian transplant unit.

Keywords: Cardiomyopathy; ECMO; Heart failure; Heart transplantation; Organ preservation; Transplantation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / diagnosis
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / surgery*
  • Equipment Design
  • Heart Transplantation / methods*
  • Heart-Assist Devices
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Organ Preservation / instrumentation*
  • Organ Preservation / methods
  • Time Factors
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement / methods*
  • Treatment Outcome