Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 16, 2025
A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death
Published on: June 6, 2025
Donors after circulatory death heart trial
Yasuhiro Shudo1, Rhodalene Benjamin-Addy1, Tiffany K Koyano1
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5407, USA.
Insights
The Organ Care System (OCS) Heart System may increase donor hearts for transplantation by preserving donation after circulatory death organs. This aims to provide life-saving treatment for more end-stage heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Surgery
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Orthotopic heart transplantation is the standard treatment for end-stage heart failure.
- A significant shortage of donor organs leads to long waitlists and delayed transplants.
- Extended criteria donors and donation after circulatory death (DCD) hearts offer potential to expand the donor pool.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Organ Care System (OCS) Heart System in preserving and assessing DCD hearts.
- To determine if the OCS Heart System can increase the availability of donor hearts for transplantation.
- To provide life-saving treatment to more patients with end-stage heart failure.
Main Methods:
- The study involves using the OCS Heart System to preserve and assess hearts from DCD donors.
- The trial aims to evaluate the viability and suitability of these preserved hearts for transplantation.
- Clinical trial registration: NCT03831048.
Main Results:
- This section is not yet available as the study is likely ongoing or results are pending.
- Further updates will be provided upon study completion and data analysis.
Conclusions:
- The OCS Heart System shows promise in expanding the donor heart pool by utilizing DCD organs.
- Successful implementation could significantly improve access to life-saving heart transplants for patients with end-stage heart failure.
Abstract:
Orthotopic heart transplantation is the gold standard treatment for end-stage heart failure. However, the persistent shortage of available donor organs has resulted in an ever-increasing waitlist and longer waiting periods for transplantation. On the contrary, increasing the number of heart transplants by preserving extended criteria donors and donation after circulatory death hearts with the Organ Care System™ (OCS) Heart System has the potential to provide the gold standard, life-saving treatment to patients with end-stage heart failure. The objective of the Donation After Circulatory Death Heart Trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the OCS Heart System to preserve and assess hearts donated after circulatory death for transplantation to increase the pool of donor hearts available for transplantation, which can potentially provide patients with end-stage heart failure with the life-saving treatment. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03831048 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
