Successful Heart Transplant after Ten Hours Out-of-body Time using the TransMedics Organ Care System

Objective We report the successful transplantation of a heart following an out-of-body time of 611minutes into a recipient with dilated cardiomyopathy and left ventricular assist device implant. Patients Our patient was urgently waiting for a cardiac transplant whilst receiving LVAD support. Recurrent VF and repeated AICD shocks necessitated this action. Results Although requiring ECMO and inotropic support in the first 17hours post-transplant, the patient was discharged from hospital on day 15 post-transplant with normal cardiac function. Conclusion We report some of the salient points of the process and discuss the utility of this technology to an Australian transplant unit.