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Ex vivo heart perfusion: an updated systematic review
Nicola Pradegan1, Luigi Di Pasquale2, Dario Di Perna3
1Cardiac Surgery Unit, Cardio-thoraco-vascular and Public Health Department, Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy.
Heart Failure Reviews
|August 2, 2024
Summary
Ex vivo heart preservation (EVHP) offers a promising alternative to standard cold static storage for donor hearts. This method enhances organ preservation and allows for pre-transplant evaluation, potentially improving heart transplant success rates.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Transplantation Medicine
- Organ Preservation Science
Background:
- Significant gap exists between patients needing heart transplants and available donor organs.
- Current standard cold static storage (CSS) has limitations in preserving donor hearts.
- Need for advanced strategies to optimize donor heart utilization and transplant outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and summarize the current knowledge and experience with ex vivo heart preservation (EVHP).
- To evaluate EVHP as a viable alternative to CSS for donor heart management.
- To highlight the potential benefits of EVHP in improving heart transplant success.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of studies on ex vivo heart preservation techniques.
- Analysis of existing data comparing EVHP with standard cold static storage (CSS).
- Synthesis of findings regarding organ preservation quality and pre-transplant evaluation capabilities.
Main Results:
- EVHP techniques demonstrate potential for superior donor heart preservation compared to CSS.
- EVHP facilitates pre-transplant assessment of organ viability and function.
- Improved organ quality and extended preservation times are associated with EVHP.
Conclusions:
- Ex vivo heart preservation represents a significant advancement over traditional methods.
- EVHP can expand the donor heart pool and enhance the success of heart transplantation.
- Further research and clinical adoption of EVHP are warranted to address donor organ shortages.
