USA: In a groundbreaking development at Duke Health, doctors are striving to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable patients—infants in need of a heart transplant. Each year, approximately 700 children are placed on the waiting list, but only around 500 will ultimately receive a transplant. Tragically, a third of these infants will not get a heart in time. This staggering statistic highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions.
Emerging from Duke Health, a new technique called Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) is reshaping the landscape of pediatric heart transplantation. Traditionally, DCD has been utilized in adults and teens but poses specific challenges when it comes to infants due to the size limitations of perfusion devices required to keep the heart viable. However, researchers at Duke have pioneered a revolutionary method called On-Table Heart-Lung Animation, allowing damaged hearts to be temporarily revived outside the body on a surgical table, significantly increasing the pool of viable donor hearts.
This transformative approach allows surgeons to assess the heart’s functionality before transplantation, providing a critical opportunity to ensure that each organ utilized is a precious gift that can indeed save a life. Earlier this year, doctors triumphantly performed a successful procedure using this innovation, marking a significant milestone in pediatric transplant surgery.
While the accompanying ethical considerations surrounding organ transplantation cannot be overlooked, the promise of this new technique brings hope to countless families. With scientists at Duke Health leading the way, the future of heart transplants for infants is poised for a hopeful transformation.
