Successful Utilization of Organ Care System in Three Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients

Improving organ preservation is essential for expanding the donor pool and enhancing outcomes for pediatric transplant recipients. This report presents three pediatric patients who received donor hearts preserved using the Organ Care System (OCS). All donor hearts were prepared, placed, and monitored on OCS according to standard protocols. Heart function and myocardial edema were visually assessed during monitoring.

Patient 1: A 17-year-old female patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy utilized OCS technology due to donor distance. She experienced an uncomplicated post-transplant course and was discharged on post-transplant day 10. Patient 2: A 14-year-old male patient with complex congenital heart disease, palliated with Fontan circulation, underwent orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) with OCS support due to both the complexity of the procedure and donor heart distance. His post-transplant course was complicated by a revision of the ascending aorta anastomosis and prolonged milrinone infusion for diastolic dysfunction. He was discharged on post-transplant day 31. Patient 3: A 16-year-old male patient with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, also palliated with Fontan circulation, underwent OHT using OCS technology due to the complexity of the surgical procedure. His post-transplant recovery was unremarkable, and he was discharged on post-transplant day 15.

All three pediatric patients demonstrated favorable short-term outcomes using OCS technology. The OCS system facilitated shorter ischemic times despite the need for extended transport distances or complex surgical procedures. However, further studies with larger patient cohorts and longer follow-up are needed to better understand the long-term impact of OCS on pediatric heart transplantation outcomes.