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A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death
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A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death

Published on: June 6, 2025

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On-Table Reanimation of a Pediatric Heart from Donation after Circulatory Death

John A Kucera1, Douglas M Overbey1,2,3, Joseph W Turek1,2,3

  • 1Congenital Heart Surgery Research and Training Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, NC.

The New England Journal of Medicine
|July 17, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric heart transplantation can be improved by using Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) hearts. This study details a novel on-table reanimation technique for a DCD heart in an infant recipient.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Transplantation Medicine
  • Organ Preservation

Background:

  • Pediatric heart transplantation is crucial for end-stage heart failure and congenital heart disease.
  • Organ scarcity leads to long wait times and mortality in pediatric recipients.
  • Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) offers a potential solution to increase the donor organ pool.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe a novel method for ex vivo resuscitation of pediatric DCD hearts.
  • To report the successful on-table reanimation of a DCD heart for infant transplantation.
  • To document any adverse events associated with the procedure.

Main Methods:

  • On-table reanimation of a pediatric donor heart after circulatory death.
  • Ex vivo resuscitation techniques for DCD hearts.
  • Transplantation of a reanimated pediatric DCD heart into a 3-month-old recipient.

Main Results:

  • Successful on-table reanimation of a pediatric DCD heart was achieved.
  • The reanimated heart was transplanted into a 3-month-old infant.
  • Adverse events encountered during the procedure are reported.

Conclusions:

  • On-table reanimation of pediatric DCD hearts is a feasible approach to expand the donor pool.
  • This technique may reduce wait times and mortality for pediatric heart transplantation.
  • Further research and ethical considerations are needed for wider adoption.

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