Keeping donor hearts in completely beating status with normothermic blood perfusion for transplants

Previously, we reported the preservation method of donor hearts in an empty beating status with mild hypothermic perfusion. To completely avoid cardiac arrest and myocardial ischemia, we performed the beating preservation technique from procurement of hearts to transplants and assessed its efficacy for long-term preservation and feasibility for heart transplantation.

Thirty-two swine donor hearts were preserved in beating status (group A, n = 8 pairs, perfused continuously with normothermic blood) or in static cold storage (group B, n = 8 pairs, stored in 4°C histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solutions) for 8 hours. Then the donor hearts were implanted either in beating or static status. During transplantation, the incidence of arrhythmia, duration of anastomosis and cardiopulmonary bypass, and dosage of inotropic drugs were recorded. Hemodynamics of left ventricle and serum level of creatine kinase-MB were measured during transplantation. Myocardial ultrastructure was observed.

Compared with group B, in group A the anastomotic time was significantly longer, the cardiopulmonary bypass time was significantly shorter, the cardiac output was larger, and the incidence of arrhythmia, dosage of cardiovascular-active drugs, and serum level of creatine kinase-MB were lower. After declamping for 2 hours and 3.5 hours, the left ventricular hemodynamics of group A was significantly better than that of group B. The myocardial ultrastructure of group A was superior to that of group B.

Preservation of donor hearts in beating status with continuous, normothermic, blood perfusion is an effective approach for long-term preservation and is appropriate for heart transplantation.