Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Oct 2022
ReviewDonation After Circulatory Death: Expanding Heart Transplants.
Heart failure affects 6.2 million adults in the United States (US), resulting in a decrease in quality of life. Limited options exist for the treatment of end-stage heart failure. Mechanical circulatory support and transplantation are considered when no further optimization can be obtained with medical management. ⋯ Heart transplants using organs from donation after circulatory death (DCD) have blossomed globally since 2014; whereas, in the US, this method has had a slower implementation. Today, the realization of the need to increase the number of donor hearts has reinvigorated the interest in heart transplantation using DCD organs. The authors review the process and discuss the unique opportunities anesthesiologists have to impact the future success of DCD heart transplantation as it continues to expand.