Beating Heart Transplant: Pioneering the Future of Heart Care

Beating heart transplant is the most recent breakthrough in heart transplantation, performed first in Michigan by the surgical team at Henry Ford Transplant. While still rare nationwide, this advanced procedure has become our standard approach for donor hearts arriving at Henry Ford via the TransMedics Organ Care System.

From "On Ice" to "Heart in a Box"

For as long as organs have traveled for transplant, they have been placed on ice in a cold preservation solution until arriving at the recipient's hospital. There, the heart was warmed, inserted, and shocked back into rhythm. However, each time a heart is stopped and restarted, damage occurs. Minimizing the number of times the heart stops and restarts, and the amount of time a heart spends stopped is key to delivering better outcomes.

In 2021, the FDA approved the TransMedics OCS Heart—often called the “pump” or "heart in a box." This portable system warms the donor heart to body temperature, delivering blood and nutrients so it continues beating throughout transit. The device continuously monitors the heart's health and even allows surgeons to treat and optimize its condition during transit.

Stopping Only Once for Better Recovery

With a beating heart transplant, the donor heart only stops once. After it is connected to the organ care system, it continues to beat nonstop—even while surgeons position and connect it inside the recipient’s chest.

By eliminating the cold storage phase and avoiding a second restart, this procedure:

• Reduces the need for post-surgical support
• Accelerates recovery times
• Protects long-term heart function

Expanding Reach, Saving More Lives

Because the heart remains active and nourished, it can travel significantly farther without cold-ischemia damage. Recently, a donor heart arrived at Henry Ford Hospital from over 2,000 miles away—a distance previously impossible with traditional transport.

More available hearts and consistently better patient outcomes are why Henry Ford surgeons have been pioneers this groundbreaking procedure.