Organ Care System Allows Beating Heart To Be Transplanted Into Recipient

Protected by its own nutrients and blood supply, a beating heart supported by an investigational organ preservation device was successfully transplanted into a 47-year-old man with congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension on Sunday, April 8.

Very cool stuff! This pioneering surgery took place at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine using a heart that was maintained in a beating state on the investigational Organ Care System (OCS) for two hours and 45 minutes.

The recipient was discharged from the hospital on April 30th in good shape. The OCS keeps organs in their physiological, beating state during transportation to the recipient’s hospital.

Potential for the Organ Care System to aid in the transplant process is promising. The risk of ischemic complications will be greatly reduced as well as rejection.

Cold ischemic storage of organs can lead to substantial organ damage in isolated cases. The faster the organ reaches the patient, the better the chance for a successful transplantation. International data shows that the one year survival of heart transplant is directly and significantly related to the length of time an organ is without blood between the donor and the recipient surgeries. If the time window between removal and implantation is too long, the organ will become unusable. The maximum storage time for a heart is presently four to six hours.

Only a third of patients waiting for a transplant will actually receive their gift. And when you do the math, about 20 people die each day awaiting their organ. Will the OCS be a welcome alternative to the conventional transport method of an organ? Do you think that the amount of rejected transplants will be considerably decreased? I’m excited!

via Science Daily