Hypothermic Ex Vivo Perfusion of Donor Hearts can Safely Preserve Post-transplant Cardiac Function in Sheep for 8 Hours.

Donor heart preservation by HEVP shows promising post-HTx outcomes in comparison to CSS in a sheep HTx model. HEVP can be safely extended up to 8 hrs, without compromising post-HTx recipient survival, cardiac contractile or mitochondrial function. HEVP may assist in overcoming limitations in preservation time associated with HTx, without increasing PGD risk. The Australian Non-Ischemic Heart Preservation (NIHP) trial is currently assessing extended HEVP in clinical HTx (ACTRN12620000595910p).