New heart transplant procedure set to ‘save hundreds’

Experts at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire are said to have identified a way of expanding the use of donor hearts to save more lives.

The new research shows that heart transplants from a new group of potential donors – known as non-heart beating donors – could save hundreds of lives internationally as the heart transplant waiting list continues to grow.

What does this mean?

There are two possible criteria regarding carrying out a transplantation from a deceased donor.

The World Health Organisation said these are classified as either those who are declared brain dead – previously the only source of hearts for transplantation – or where the donor dies from cardio-pulmonary issues. Now for the first time in Europe, a heart has been successfully transplanted from a donor who died from this kind of failure.

Earlier in March 2015 Huseyin Ulucan, from London, was the recipient of a non-beating heart. The procedure went so well Mr Ulucan spent only four days in the critical care unit and is now recovering at home.

The hospital’s clinical director, Steven Tsui, said “his swift recovery is testament to the comprehensive research carried out at Papworth.”

A heart transplant operation under way at Papworth Hospital.

Consultant Surgeon Stephen Large, who led the team, said this form of transplantation could “increase heart transplantation by up to 25 per cent in the UK alone”.

According to the Papworth Hospital NHS Trust, the figures show:

• There are currently 257 patients across the UK waiting for a heart transplant
• Since April 1, 2014, 171 patients have received a heart transplant in the UK
• Around 13 per cent of patients listed for a non-urgent heart transplant between April 2010 and March 2011 died within three years of being listed
• As many as 30 per cent were removed from the heart transplant waiting list
• There are currently more than 6,900 patients waiting for an organ transplant across the UK

Cardiothoracic Transplant Registrar Simon Messer explained: “Until this point we were only able to transplant organs from DBD (Donation After Brain-stem Death) donors.

“However, research conducted at Papworth allowed us to develop a new technique not used anywhere else in the world to ensure the best possible results for our patients using hearts from non-heart beating donors.”

According to the British Heart Foundation, around 900,000 people are living with heart failure in the UK.