Toronto General Hospital has successfully conducted a groundbreaking heart transplant using a heart that had previously stopped beating, as announced by the University Health Network (UHN). This pioneering operation, which took place in early September, marked Canada’s first donation after death by circulatory criteria (DCC) heart transplant, according to a recent press release from UHN.
Traditionally, heart donations come from donors with no brain function and a still-beating heart. However, in the DCC process, the heart is retrieved from a deceased patient, stated UHN. Despite a brief period without oxygen, advancements in medical technology now enable these hearts to be transplanted successfully under specific criteria, the hospital emphasized.
Patients eligible for the DCC process are individuals with no chance of neurological recovery, who have not been declared brain dead by a neurologist. Following confirmation of death and upon the patient’s or family’s consent, life support is discontinued, and the heart is then removed, UHN explained.
The recipient of Toronto’s DCC heart transplant is reportedly recovering well, with Dr. Seyed Alireza Rabi, a cardiac surgeon from the transplantation team, expressing optimism that this procedure will provide hope for individuals awaiting life-saving transplants. Dr. Rabi highlighted that many advanced heart failure patients do not make it onto transplant waitlists, underscoring the critical importance of heart transplants as the sole cure for advanced heart failure.
According to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, by the end of 2024, 155 adults and 29 children in Canada were awaiting heart transplants. UHN anticipates that the DCC procedure will expand the heart donor pool by 30%, potentially benefiting those in need of heart transplants.
Dr. Rabi noted that while the DCC technique is not new, having been performed in countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, this marks the first time it has been executed with a heart in Canada. The well-established knowledge gathered from international procedures has equipped the Toronto team for this operation, he added.
The success of the DCC heart transplant in Toronto was lauded by Dr. Thomas Forbes, UHN’s surgeon in chief, who described it as a significant advancement in transplant surgery in Canada. Dr. Forbes emphasized that this breakthrough will enhance heart availability for Canadians suffering from late-stage heart failure, offering them hope for a better quality of life.
Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s minister of health, commended the UHN team for achieving this historic milestone in Canadian healthcare. She praised the innovative and collaborative efforts that led to the first DCC heart transplant in Canada, emphasizing the potential to save more lives through such advancements.