Surgeons transplanted a heart that continued to work for the first time

Surgeons from the National Taiwan University have performed a unique heart transplantation surgery, the heart continued to beat during the period between donation and transplantation.

It is noted that usually during such operations, the donor’s heart is removed and stored in a refrigerator for some time to reduce the workload. This is called the ischemic period, during which the organ is deprived of blood supply.

This creates risks of damage to the heart and its rejection by the recipient’s body. Due to lack of oxygen, he is deprived of blood supply the organ may be damaged muscle tissue or myocardium. In this regard, surgeons from the National Taiwan University decided to perform the transplant without an ischemic period.

The success of such a complex operation was ensured by a special organ support system. The donor’s heart continued to work all the time with the support of oxygen-enriched blood coming from the NTUH organ care system — extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which supports artificial life support for organs such as the heart and lungs.

The organ connected to this system was transported from one operating room to another without stopping. The 49-year-old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy was discharged from the hospital shortly after the operation last August and is doing well.

Further postoperative examinations showed that the woman demonstrates low levels of a heart enzyme that usually increases after transplantation and indicates for damage to the heart muscle. The surgeons performed the second successful operation in early 2025.

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Source: New Atlas