Post-Transplant Cardiac Contractility and Mitochondrial Function is Preserved Following 8 Hours Hypothermic Ex Vivo Perfusion in Sheep

Hypothermic ex vivo perfusion (HEVP) is a novel preservation alternative to cold static storage (CSS) of donor hearts for transplantation (HTx). Unlike CSS, HEVP may safely extend donor heart preservation time without the penalty of primary graft dysfunction. We sought to determine the impact of increasing preservation time on post-HTx cardiac injury, contractility, mitochondrial function following donor heart preservation by CSS (2 hrs) or HEVP (2 and 8 hrs).