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Updated: Nov 2, 2025
Lung Rapid Recovery Procurement Combined with Abdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion in Controlled Donation after Circulatory Death
Published on: August 15, 2022
Heart transplantation from controlled donation after circulatory death using thoracoabdominal normothermic regional
Juan F Nistal1, Manuel Cobo2, Eduardo Larraz3
1Service of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, School of Medicine, CIBERCV, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Santander, Spain.
Insights
Controlled donation after circulatory determination of death (cDCDD) heart transplantation is a viable option. This case highlights successful heart recovery using only thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) and transplantation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Organ Procurement
Background:
- Increasing the donor heart pool is critical for heart transplantation.
- Controlled donation after circulatory determination of death (cDCDD) offers a potential solution.
- Traditional methods for cDCDD heart retrieval have limitations.
Observation:
- This case report details a heart transplant utilizing a graft from a cDCDD donor.
- Cardiac preservation was achieved through postmortem thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) followed by cold storage.
- Notably, an ex situ perfusion device was not employed in this procedure.
Findings:
- Successful heart transplantation was performed using a graft retrieved solely via TA-NRP.
- This represents one of the initial documented instances of cDCDD heart retrieval using TA-NRP without additional perfusion devices.
- The transplanted heart functioned successfully post-operatively.
Implications:
- TA-NRP alone is a feasible method for preserving cDCDD donor hearts for transplantation.
- This technique may expand the availability of donor hearts, potentially reducing wait times.
- Further research into TA-NRP for cDCDD organ procurement is warranted.
Background:
Heart transplantation from controlled donation after the circulatory determination of death (cDCDD) may be an option to increase the pool of grafts for transplantation.
Materials And Methods:
Initial experiences on cDCDD heart transplantation were based on the direct procurement of the heart followed by preservation with ex situ perfusion devices. Later, the use of thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) has emerged as an option to recover hearts. We present a case of a heart transplant using a graft from controlled donation after circulatory death. Cardiac preservation was performed by postmortem TA-NRP followed by cold storage. Ex situ perfusion device was not used.
Discussion And Conclusion:
This is one of the first published cases of a controlled donation after circulatory death heart retrieved using only TA-NRP and successfully transplanted.
