ATLANTA - Heart transplants save thousands of
patients every year, but hundreds die waiting for a donor heart. Now a
new technology that keeps a donor heart alive outside the body could
give many heart patients a second chance at life.
Since the first U.S. heart transplant in 1967, donor hearts have been flown from point A to point B packed on ice, in a cooler.
Now doctors at UCLA Medical Center are embarking on a new procedure that could revolutionize transplants.
It's known as the Beat Box, which keeps a heart beating outside the human body while it's transported from the donor to the recipient, ultimately keeping the organ healthier.
On ice, a heart is only good for up to eight hours. With the new method, it's viable for up to 24, so it can travel much greater distances, making more organs available to patients.
Since the first U.S. heart transplant in 1967, donor hearts have been flown from point A to point B packed on ice, in a cooler.
Now doctors at UCLA Medical Center are embarking on a new procedure that could revolutionize transplants.
It's known as the Beat Box, which keeps a heart beating outside the human body while it's transported from the donor to the recipient, ultimately keeping the organ healthier.
On ice, a heart is only good for up to eight hours. With the new method, it's viable for up to 24, so it can travel much greater distances, making more organs available to patients.
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