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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
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A High-Fidelity Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Following Donation after Circulatory Death
Published on: June 6, 2025
Unresolved Considerations for Donor Management in Heart Transplantation After Cardiac Death: A Narrative Review
Jeffrey KiHyun Park1, Jennie Yee Ngai1
1NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.
Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Standardizing donation after circulatory death for heart transplantation (DCD-HT) protocols is crucial. This review analyzes variations and controversies to promote more effective and ethical DCD-HT practices.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Surgery
- Bioethics
Background:
- Donation after circulatory death for heart transplantation (DCD-HT) is gaining traction.
- Current DCD-HT protocols lack standardization across different organizations.
- Variability in end-of-life care and allograft assessment complicates DCD-HT execution and ethics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze variations in current DCD-HT protocols.
- To examine controversies in DCD-HT across different phases of donation.
- To support the development of standardized DCD-HT protocols.
Main Methods:
- Review of contemporary DCD-HT protocols.
- Analysis of variations in donor selection and management.
- Examination of peri-withdrawal and intraoperative phases.
Main Results:
- Significant variability exists in DCD-HT protocols regarding donor management and allograft assessment.
- Ethical controversies are exacerbated by inconsistent definitions and practices.
- Critical gaps in current protocols were identified.
Conclusions:
- Standardization of DCD-HT protocols is essential for clinical effectiveness and ethical integrity.
- Addressing protocol variations can improve efficiency and reduce ethical concerns.
- Further development is needed for robust and standardized DCD-HT practices.
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