NTU Hospital’s Cardiac Transplant Team Pioneers Beating Heart Transplant with Zero Ischemic Time

National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) has successfully performed the world’s first beating heart transplant with zero ischemic time, with the patient recovering smoothly and being discharged. This achievement marks a significant breakthrough in the field of heart transplantation. Since the 1980s, NTUH has been at the forefront of cardiac transplantation in Taiwan, having performed the country's first heart transplant in 1990. To date, NTUH has completed over 700 heart transplants, establishing itself as a national leader in the field. These extensive clinical experiences laid the groundwork for the success of this pioneering surgery, which was recently featured in the prestigious Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Techniques.

Traditional heart transplantation requires removing the donor heart and preserving it in a cold storage solution to reduce metabolic demand. However, this inevitably involves a period of ischemic time, during which the heart is deprived of blood supply, which may negatively impact heart function and transplant success rates. The innovation of zero-ischemic-time transplantation lies in maintaining continuous perfusion of the myocardium, thereby eliminating ischemic injury and minimizing reperfusion damage. By ensuring that the donor heart continues beating throughout the entire process, tissue damage is reduced, and both post-operative heart function and patient survival rates are expected to improve.

As a leading force in cardiac transplantation in Asia, NTUH’s latest breakthrough offers valuable insights for the global organ transplant community and paves the way for future innovations. This successful beating heart transplant using the hospital’s proprietary organ preservation system represents a paradigm shift in transplant methodology. Not only does it highlight NTUH’s clinical excellence, but it also introduces a new frontier in transplant medicine worldwide. Moving forward, NTUH will continue refining transplant procedures and enhancing organ maintenance technology, enabling more patients to benefit from zero-ischemic-time heart transplantation and move toward a healthier future.