Simultaneous Heart-Liver Transplant Using Dual-Organ Normothermic Machine Perfusion Following Donation After...

Combined heart-liver transplantation presents significant challenges, particularly in cases requiring extended ischemic times for managing hemodynamic instability post cardiac implantation. Advances in perfusion techniques, such as the normothermic machine perfusion pump, offer advantages over traditional static cold storage by maintaining organ viability during prolonged periods. We report the first successful combined heart-liver transplant using normothermic machine perfusion for both organs from a donation after circulatory death donor. The recipient is a 45-year-old male with ischemic cardiomyopathy-induced heart failure and end-stage liver disease secondary to congestive hepatopathy. Both organs, procured from a donation after circulatory death donor were preserved on the TransMedics Organ Care System and subsequently transplanted with total post crossclamp times of 7.75 hours for the heart and 15.25 hours for the liver. At 8 months post-transplant, the patient demonstrates stable cardiac and hepatic graft function. This case highlights the critical role of normothermic machine perfusion in optimizing organ quality and mitigating ischemic injury in multi-organ transplants involving donation after circulatory death donors. Our findings support the expanded use of normothermic machine perfusion to enhance organ utilization, particularly in complex, high-risk multi-organ transplants cases.