Expanding the Criteria for Heart Transplantation Donors: A Review of DCD, Increased Ischemic Times, HCV, HIV, and Extended Criteria Donors

Abstract

With the demand for heart transplantation continuing to outpace the available donor organs, previously underutilized donors are now being reconsidered. We sought to describe the emerging techniques and outcomes of expanded criteria heart transplantation. A comprehensive review of the recent literature concerning expanded donor selection in heart transplantation was performed using the PubMed MEDLINE database. To characterize trends in transplant practice, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS/OPTN) registry was queried for all adult isolated heart transplants since 2010, and data regarding transplant parameters was collected. Donation after cardiac death (DCD), DCD with normothermic regional perfusion, increased ischemic time, hepatitis C positive donor organs, HIV-positive donor organs, and extended criteria donors were identified as promising avenues currently being explored to expand the number of donor organs. The utilization of various expanded criteria for heart transplantation was summarized since 2010 and showed an increasing use of these donor organs, contributing to the overall increasing frequency of heart transplantation. Utilization of expanded criteria for donor selection in heart transplantation has the potential to increase the supply of donor organs with comparable outcomes in selected recipients.