Safe heart flush technique during recovery from donors after circulatory death

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Organ Transplantation
• Surgical Procurement Techniques

Background:

• Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is crucial for addressing heart transplant donor shortages.
• Minimizing warm ischemia time is critical for successful heart recipient outcomes.
• Standard procurement methods require optimization for DCD heart recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a Foley catheter for flushing DCD donor hearts.
• To assess the feasibility of using a modified Foley catheter during heart procurement.

Main Methods:

• A 2-way Foley catheter was utilized for retrograde flushing of the heart.
• Catheter preparation and modification were performed on the back table prior to procurement.
• The flushing procedure was integrated into the DCD heart recovery process.

Main Results:

• Successful heart flushing was achieved within 3 minutes of skin incision.
• The technique facilitated rapid procurement, crucial for limiting warm ischemia.
• The study observed positive outcomes for heart recipients post-transplant.

Conclusions:

• Employing a Foley catheter for heart flushing in DCD donation is efficient and rapid.
• This method offers a practical solution to optimize heart recovery from DCD donors.
• The technique contributes to improved graft viability and recipient survival.