Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
Innovative Strategies for Organ Preservation in Heart Transplantation: Uniform Cooling Preservation and Ex-situ Normothermic Perfusion
Published on: November 28, 2025
[Heart transplant. Preservation and surgical technique. Eleven-year experience]
Guillermo Careaga-Reyna1, Maricela Jiménez-Valdivia, Rubén Argüero-Sánchez
1Hospital de Cardiologia. División de Cirugía, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, México, DF. gcareaga3@aol.com
Insights
This study details 16 heart transplants performed between 1993 and 2004, showing a one-year survival rate of 80.2% for heart failure patients. The findings support heart transplantation as a viable treatment option.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Transplant Immunology
- Critical Care Medicine
Context:
- Heart transplantation is a life-saving procedure for end-stage heart failure.
- Advances in surgical techniques and preservation methods have improved outcomes.
- This study reviews a single center's experience over a 12-year period.
Purpose:
- To report the experience and outcomes of heart transplantation at a specific institution.
- To evaluate the efficacy of different surgical techniques (biatrial vs. bicaval anastomosis).
- To assess the survival rates following heart transplantation.
Summary:
- Sixteen heart transplants were performed between January 1993 and November 2004.
- The primary indication was dilated idiopathic cardiomyopathy (68.7%).
- The one-year survival rate was 80.2%, with three deaths attributed to primary organ failure.
Impact:
- Demonstrates that heart transplantation can significantly improve long-term survival in heart failure patients.
- The results achieved are comparable to international benchmarks.
- Highlights the importance of standardized surgical and preservation protocols.
Background:
Heart transplantation is a treatment which has modified the long-term, survival and terminal heart failure patients. The objective of this work is to inform our experience with this surgical procedure.
Material And Methods:
We analyzed the heart transplants realized between January 1, 1993 and November 30, 2004, the surgical techniques for harvest and implant and the procedure of heart preservation. The conventional approach for harvesting was median sternotomy with celiotomy in multiorgan donation. In main cases for preservation, we used the Bretschneider solution at 30 cc/ kg and 4 degrees C of temperature. For the implant of the heart the surgical techniques were biatrial or bicaval anastomosis.
Results:
A total of 16 heart transplantation was realized. The mean age of the recipients was 41 year-old (range: 15 a 57). In 68.7% the indication for the procedure was dilated idiopathic cardiomyopathy. The ischemic period was 154.6 +/- 63.9 min. There were 4 harvesting procedures out of the city. In 4 cases we used biatrial anastomosis, and in the other patients the bicaval procedure. We have three deaths for primary organ failure. The one-year survival was 80.2%.
Conclusion:
Heart transplantation is a therapeutic option to improves long-term, survival in heart failure patients, and the results with the procedure we use are comparable to others around the world.
